League: North-South match could be a goer

The New Zealand Rugby League (NZRL) is pursuing plans for a State of Origin-style North-South match next year, after a bid to launch the concept this year had to be dropped.

Chairman Selwyn Pearson today said he was confident the inaugural match would go ahead next season.

The idea for a North-South encounter involving New Zealand's best players was first made public last November.

The geographic boundary for determining the composition of the teams was set at the Bombay Hills, south of Auckland, and the fixture was to have concided with the State of Origin series in Australia.

However, the NZRL has since been told that National Rugby League (NRL) clubs needed to have had more prior notice.

"It was suggested that we needed to give the clubs a little bit more warning," Pearson said.

"I think that's fair enough, just as a courtesy, and the NRL had already done their calendar."

Pearson acknowledged that NRL clubs might be against the North-South proposal because it would mean an extra commitment for some of their players.

"But it would be a shocking double standard if they released players for the State of Origin and not for the North-South," he said.

NZRL general manager Peter Cordtz said New Zealand was not able to secure a commitment from the NRL to include a North-South match in this year's calendar.

"From their point of view, they felt there was more planning needed," he said.

"We've had support in principle, with enough planning and enough lead time, they will look at incorporating it for 2006 and we're continuing to press hard for that to be the case."

- NZPA