KEY POINTS:
Former test skipper Tana Umaga looks set to be ruled out, but other ex-All Blacks are being targeted to make a temporary switch of code and represent the New Zealand All Golds.
Umaga has been approached to play against the Northern Union in England in October in a
match that will mark 100 years of international rugby league.
However, New Zealand Rugby League director of football Graham Lowe has been told Umaga has a commercial arrangement with Tourism New Zealand on the day of the match in Warrington.
"Tana is keen and we haven't given up on him," he said today.
"But he has commitments which at this stage look like will rule him out."
Umaga played league as a youngster and was in the Junior Kiwis with former Kiwi captain Ruben Wiki. He leaves for France in August to become general manager of second division rugby club Toulon.
Lowe said a couple of other former All Blacks were being considered for the All Golds, but declined to say who they were or whether they were based overseas.
He said whether they had played league before was not an issue, as the original All Golds didn't have any experience of the game before arriving in Britain in late 1907.
"We want to try to reflect the nature of what actually happened."
Lowe said he was negotiating with at least one player to reprise the role of Australian great Dally Messenger 100 years ago.
Former Kangaroo Andrew Johns had the job before his sudden injury-related retirement from all football in April.
Australia and Queensland skipper Darren Lockyer is seen as the favourite to replace Johns, although Lowe would only say: "There's not many sides he wouldn't make."
Lowe said he wasn't a selector for the All Golds, but was doing the groundwork for the October 20 fixture.
The selectors would be the coach (as-yet unnamed but not Kiwi coach Brian McClennan), Tony Kemp and Howie Tamati.
While the match will open New Zealand's three-test tour of Great Britain, Lowe indicated that only a handful of the tourists would take part.
The 18 Kiwis involved in the test against Australia in Wellington the previous weekend would be unavailable, leaving just the remainder of the tour party, probably four or five.
Ruben Wiki and fellow former Kiwi Nigel Vagana had been invited to play, while Stacey Jones could also receive an invitation.
Lowe said Jones' situation depended on whether McClennan sounded him out about returning to the Kiwis and whether the halfback agreed to come out of international retirement again.
The balance of the All Golds would come from various sources, including British-based players, and Lowe also wanted the selectors to look at up-and-comers in the New Zealand domestic game.
With the match being a week before the first Kiwi-Great Britain test, he expected the Northern Union to put forward a side in the mould of the Barbarians.
"It will be a real celebration of rugby league."
- NZPA
