REPLY TO CRITIC

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 4, Issue 129, 14 July 1941, Page 5

REPLY TO CRITIC

COMMENTS ON ROUGH PLAY SUPPORT FOR WHAKATANE In our last issue a paragraph published in the Opotiki News was reprinted. This criticised the members of the Whakatane Rugby fifteen which visited Opotiki on Saturday, July 5, stating that several members' had adopted 1 illegal tactics and 1 had spoiled the display byl "playing the man." In another column of that issue of the News a Rugby writer, under the nom de plume of "The Krou," 1 made even a more severe criticism of the Whakatane players, that a number adopted extremely rough tactics, deliberately making efforts to disable opponents by "dirty" play. The Whakatane methods of play were described as more suitable for the European battlefields. This writer has received a reply from another (apparently Opotiki) Rugby follower, who as "The Hawk," writes as follows in Friday's issue of the News :— Supporters of Rugby locally and possibly elsewhere, and in particular in those districts in which the News circulates, must have received quite a surprise on reading the report on the game for the HurunuiApanui Shield between the local repr- (the holders) and the Whakatane reps (thei challengers), especially on the behaviour of the latter. Personally the writer opines that our local boys are and were not "lily white" by any means, and even members of the team conceded the point that they were up against a good team. As for what one expects on the battlefields of Europe, neither team revealed signs of biting and eve-gouging, they broke even on the hard: stuff! Not a single comment in favour of any one of the visiting players on their play appears in the report. "The Krou" of course, may not have been familiar with the names of some of the players, but some of the members of the team have been visitors here previously and played good football, too.

The next challenge for the Hur-unui-Apanui Rugby Shield has been made by the Rotorua Union which is to visit Opotiki on Saturday next.