Sports

Aussies angry at our rugby men

Dunedin: "The New Zealand Universities Sports Union has no control over the New Zealand University Rugby Football Union," Otago sports representative Kit Newth says. "They can ignore our eligibility rules and we can't do anything about it."

He was commenting on a report from Sydney that the proposed Australian tour by a New Zealand universities rugby side next May was most unlikely to take place.

According to Sydney University rugby authorities, negotiations had broken down because New Zealand had refused to exclude graduates from its side.

Mr. Ron Sharp, the Sydney University Rugby Club's delegate to the Australian University Sports Association, said:

"The Australian universities are unanimous in their decision not to accept a New Zealand side which includes graduates. It is now up to New Zealand universities to decide whether to change its system and let the tour take place."

Mr. Arthur Hatton, the treasurer of the Sydney University Club, said: "It's high time Australia stood on its own feet and did not bow down to New Zealand universities.

"In the past we have let New Zealand dictate the terms, and our chaps have faced an almost impossible task. I can't see why our boys should be butchered by seasoned internationals."

Mr. Hatton said that in New Zealand once a player had represented a university he was eligible to do so for as long as he liked.

"Our rules don't allow that," he said. "A university player must be a student.

"The New Zealand universities rule is crazy. In 1964 when our boys went over, I believe there were about six All Blacks against them in one match."

Mr. Newth said he sympathised with the Australians.

The New Zealand Universities Rugby Council is alone in not having an eligibility rule. We have it at Otago," he said, "and rugby is the only sport which doesn't exclude graduates on a national level as well."

He pointed out that the rugby authorities were all-powerful in New Zealand. They didn't need NZUSU backing, nor did they follow NZUSU's rules.

The New Zealand Universities Rugby Council broke away from the national student body about twelve years ago.

"There is no contact between NZURC and the individual universities," he said.

But Mr. Newth said that though they were getting a raw deal in this respect, the Australians were not blameless.

"They are notoriously bad at organising international tours," he said. "There is often poor handling and bungling."