Little Sports Talks

The most striking impression of the Council itself was the similarities between New Zealand and Australian students. It was an interesting exercise during a not very interesting debate to look round the table and imagine that you were at a meeting In New Zealand, because you could see' different people adopting the same approaches and having the same characteristics as their opposite [unclear: members] in New Zealand. This fact was also noticeable outside the Council table where one found it very easy to become friendly with the Australian students and to associate with them in the same way (and in the same places!) as one would in New Zealand.

Another feature of the actual meeting was the absence of any discussion on sporting problems. Sport was mentioned only Incidentally when reference was made to the merit or otherwise of Sports Unions in particular universities. The sporting administration in Australia is completely different from that in New Zealand but, to my mind, it does not provide a pattern which we in New Zealand should readily follow. It would take a whole article to expand that statement but as it is not of general interest. I will leave the expansion to my official report.

By this time, you are probably wondering what was discussed at this particular Conference and whether or not you as members of the New Zealand University Students' Association received value for the money that was spent in sending me to Australia. I will answer the first question as best I can and leave you to draw your own conclusions as to the answer that should be given to the second question. From the point of view of New Zealand interest the most important matter discussed, apart from travel and exchange, was the International Students' situation. This discussion paid little attention to I.U.S. and organisations of a similar suspect nature because it was felt, and I think rightly so that the Australians have sincerely wasted enough time and money on I.U.S. for no return other than the abuse that they, in common with the other "Western Unions" have had to suffer in recent years. The Australians eventually decided that they would" not send anyone to any I.U.S. Conference in the future unless that Conference was held in England. The idea of this motion was that a Conference held in England would not cost anyone anything. The holding of a Conference In England is so unlikely that the effect of this unanimous decision of the Council is that Australia has completed the break with I.U.S.