Rugby League: League looking to closer ties with Tricolors

By PETER JESSUP

France-New Zealand playing relations from age-group sides to test level are likely to be improved and expanded after the Tricolors tour here, despite a financial loss caused by winter doing its worst last weekend.

Gate, TV, advertising and sponsorship figures from Sunday's 36-0 Kiwi win over the visitors were still being totted yesterday, but the game was a clear loss on the bottom line.

Only 32 paying customers turned up to buy seats on the grass bank in the heavy rain and around 200 walked up to buy into the uncovered stands. Most of the 4500-5000 fans there bought seats before match-day.

Kiwis coach Gary Freeman heaped praise on the fans, especially the children, who did turn out. They had stayed on in the rain as the team walked the field to clap them.

The tour looks like losing around $40,000, which the New Zealand Rugby League were not regarding as a major issue yesterday.

"We always looked on it as a developmental tour," chairman Selwyn Pearson said. "We have to support the international game."

Options include a visit by a combined side drawn from the national league to France in October next year, around the time the Kiwis will be touring England, with the Kiwis to play France in a test after that. Age-group tours here and there are also on the cards.

French liaison officer Tas Batieri said the Tricolors were pleased with the results of the New Zealand visit.

"We had lost 11 players from the World Cup team, so the side is young and inexperienced, but they were not ridiculed in the test match. All the signs are that our coaching, development and management are on the right track."

Now they just needed to hold players from the attraction of higher pay-packets in rugby union.

Winger Sylvain Houles, 19, will leave the tourists in PNG and return to Sydney and the Penrith Panthers on a three-month development contract after impressing Panthers' assistant coach Peter Mulholland, who helped the visitors to prepare for the test.

* A postal ballot of districts will be held to replace NZRL deputy chairman Dr Wayne Morris from Dunedin, who has resigned his position, and that is expected to be held within the month.