PETER RIRINUI

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 1, Issue 43, 31 July 1939, Page 6

PETER RIRINUI

AUCKLAND WRITER'S COMMENT GREAT GAME AT GISBORNE Reference is made in nn article in the New Zealand Observer entitled ''Rugby's Contribution to the New Zealand League Team," to Peter Rhi nui t former Tauranga and Bay of Plenty forward, who is expected to be one of the stars of the forthcoming English tour. Those who saw the Combined team's game against the Springboks at Gisborne will remember Ririnui's dashing display. J. G. McLean, writer of the article, says: ''Orman, Mitchell Chase, Hcmi and Ririnui are others among the league tourists who were in the rugby limelight before they saw the light and were "converted.l take particular interest in Peter Ririnui because I fancy my unrestrained en. thusiasm for the big fellow's play against the Springboks, at Gisborno in 1937, may have had some slight bearing on the overtures subsequent, ly made to him to play league. Afte;* singing Ririnui's praises in a radio talk after the Gisborne match, I received a number of grateful letter.? from his Bay of Plenty admirers, one of whom told me he (Ririnui) had played representative football at 14. Whether or not this is pure W'V-,! I do not know, but lie is only 22 now "T am sorry to cast doubt on {he story that Philip Nel cited Ririnui :r the best forward in New Zealaed, i> I do not believe he. did every'hi»•:' the sort. Nel was not given to -fulsome praise of anyone, particulaily oj] short acquaintance and furthermore the Springboks could not tell one from another among the several Maoris in the Combined team's pack. Far from bestowing any great praise on any of their opponents in that game_ they were highly aggrieved bv the offside tactics of the Maori for., wards, who dwelt round the edges of the scrum and undoubtedly stood yards offs'dc at times. ''But there is no question about the magnificent game that Ririnui played that day. A huge, massive figure, he broke away repeatedly, and it sometimes took two men to pull him down. From what T hear he has never been quite as spectacularsir.ee but with his great weight nnd strength he should ho an. asset to the league team."