Financing Fiji’s

Australian Football Tour

From Our Own Correspondent

Suva, Mar. 16.

rHE Fiji Rugby Union has announced that as a result of le January hurricane the Union does ot propose to make a direct appeal d the public to help with the ex cuses involved in sending a Rugby ram to Australia in July. But that wing to the great cost of sending way a team, if anyone “can assist ithout putting any strain on an in ividual or body, the Union will ladly accept such assistance.”

The Union intends to send 25 per ms, including players, coach and lanager. They will leave Fiji by lane about July 2 and during le tour eight matches will probably ; played at Sydney, Brisbane, rmidale and Dubbo, but the inerary in New South Wales and ueensland is still subject to con rmation.

Much of the expense will be borne / Rugby groups in Australia, but ie Fiji Union estimates that it will ive to find about £1,500 to meet e cost of assembling, selecting, )aching and equipping the Fijian am. The Union will provide up £ 1,000 from its funds, and hopes at as Fijian Rugby touring teams ive been wonderful ambassadors for e Colony some Government finan al aid will be forthcoming.

Lstralians Learn About

Fiji Football

Fijian Rugby Union team which is due to arrive in Sydney out July 2 is already getting a ry good press in Eastern Australia.

They have been described as the otballers who fill churches as well grandstands and readers of metro- Jitan newspapers have been given ball-to-ball description of their caching and hymn-singing as well a description of the kind of foot -11 they are likely to produce.

The feeling seems to be that if the jians cannot put Rugby Union back to popularity in Australia, nothing Mr. L. Martin who managed the jian team in New Zealand last ar has become famous overnight the “wealthy Suva business man }o was prepared to finance the jians’ tour himself.” As this was timated to cost about £6,500,

Australian sportslovers, and that in volves about 95 per cent, of the population, were suitably impressed.

Australia would now like to see some photos of these wild men from Fiji—and the wilder-looking the better—who are scheduled to show Australian teams how to play Union sometime between July and August this year.

A gavel, made of Western Samoan woods and a gift from the people of Western Samoa, was presented to the United Nations Trusteeship Council at the Marth session, by the NZ delegate, Mr. L. K. Munro.