ROTORUA WANTS MAORI-BRITISH RUGBY MATCH

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 15, Issue 46, 19 May 1950, Page 5

ROTORUA WANTS MAORI-BRITISH RUGBY MATCH

Although application was made last year by the Bay of Plenty Rugby Union to hold the Bi’itish IslesMaori rugby match at Rotorua the Venue of the game was changed t Wellington and is to be played there on August 2. The main reason advanced by the Bay Union was That Rotorua was the centre of Maori population *and was easily accessible for many Maoris. Despite protests by the Bay and Rotorua Unions nothing further has been done but now the Arawa Trust Board has taken an interest in the question and the chairman, Mr Z. N. Mitchell, has written Lo the New Zealand Rugby Union. He states in his letter:— People Concerned

“With reference to the itinerary arranged for the British Isles Rug • by Union team, my people, the Arawas, have expressed concern through their representative on my board at the non-inclusion of a match for Rotorua.

“According to the news, the British team will be spending a few days’ vacation in Rotorua, and in the circumstances, my people respectfully ask that their stay be extended by one day, thus giving Rotorua an opportunity of staging a match here against the Maori team. “The Arawa people will assist the Rotorua Rugby Sub-Union in arranging a real Maori welcome; and hospitality second to none ip this country. “Rotorua in the past has had the honour of matching its . stalwarts against two British teams captained by Mr Bedell Sieveigt and Mr Harding respectively. The last international match played here was against the Springboks. “On behalf of my people, I respectfully ask your union to reconsider its decision and give us the opportunity of staging a match, Maoris versus the British Isles, here in Rotorua,” Mr Mitchell concludes.

The matter of the venue of the Maori match was discussed by the Bay of Plenty Rugby Union at its last meeting, Mr H. L. Anderson, Edgecumbe, said that in spite of Mr St. C. Belcher’s explanation, the Maori Advisory Board had not approved of the present venue, which had been changed from Hamilton to Wellington. Not Challenged

The president, Mr W. S. Henderson, pointed out that Mr Love, secretary of the Maori Advisory Board, was present when the statement was made and he had not challenged it. Mr C. Andrews, chairman of the Rotorua Sub-Union, stated that part of the explanation, alleging a loss on Maori fixtures, was a libel on Maori football, as no loss had been shown by Maori teams, over the past season. When the suggestion to hold the game at Rotorua was first mooted by the Tauranga Union last year the Whakatane Sub-Union offered full support of the scheme.