RUGBY LEAGUE

Evening Post, Volume CXXVIII, Issue 24, 28 July 1939, Page 16

RUGBY LEAGUE

TOURING SIDE

GOVERNMENT FAREWELL

Members of the New Zealand Rugby League team, which left Wellington

on the Rangitiki yesterday for a tour of England and France, and the

Co-managers, Messrs. J. A. Redwood and R. Doble, were farewelled in the Prime. Minister's rooms at Parliament Buildings in the morning by' Cabinet Ministers and members of the House of Representatives. The Hon. P,

Fraser presided in the absence of the Prime Minister, who,, it was stated, was temporarily indisposed. Mr. Fraser wished the managers of the team and the players the best wishes of the Government and trusted that they: would have a very successful tour." He said it was the third Rugby League team to visit . Great Britain from New Zealand, and in this connection he was pleased to see present Mr. : H. R. : Wright, who captained the first- New Zealand touring League ' side, the, "AH Golds/ in 1907. He also extended a welcome to officials of the national organisation arid Messrs. W. T. Holland and G. H> Bassant, president and chairman of the Wellington Rugby League Board of Control, respectively. Mr. Fraser added that he was doubtful if a more formidable team ever left the Dominion. Some members had succeeded marvellously as far as physical fitness was concerned. He mentioned that the captain of the team, Mr. Rex King (Canterbury) had actually played the game in England and was with the Warrington Club for .three years. ■•■■. "I hope those of you who are in industry or who have some interest in industrial fields will get some oppor: tunity of seeing the wbnderful applications of chemistry and engineering to modern industry," Mr. Fraser added. The Leader of the Opposition (the Hon. Adam Hamilton) said he was pleased to associate himself with Mr. Fraser in wishing the side the best of luck. He understood that the team was a well-balanced one. The forwards were heavy and spectacular • players, and the wing-three-quarters were fast. He hoped they would succeed in bringing back the trophy which the British team had wrested from Australia. Physical development. \ "I desire you to take very close I notice of the various. changes abroad j in connection with physical welfare, physical fitness, and physical instruction," said the Minister of Internal Affairs (the Hon W. E. Parry), "in order that you may be able to bring into New Zealand such organisations that will make for not only physical betterment for those actually taking ipart in sport, as you do, but for the great masses of the people. Thel future development of .this nation is most important.. Unless we develop physically we are going to be left behind other countries of the.world." Sir Apirana. Ngata said he. was pleased that there were six Maori representatives in the team. He described himself as a conservative-r-a follower of the Rugby code—and it was with some concern that his conservative friends saw some of the best Rugby players turning to the League code. ' ;

But, he said, in the ■ management .of the League code, as far as the Maori was concerned, anything^'in* the nature of a colour bar" f was brushed aside, and that was more than he could quite say about the Rugby code. - The colour bar in meeting the Springboks at Rugby was responsible in some way for the break away from the co.de by Maoris. Messrs. J. A. Lee, Redwood, Doble, and King also spoke. At the conclusion of the function, which took the form of a morning tea, cheers were given, for the team.