CONTROL OF NATIVE RUGBY

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Volume 81, Issue 67, 11 December 1937, Page 11

CONTROL OF NATIVE RUGBY

— PreiB Aasociation.)

Views Placed Before N.Z.R.U. Council CLOSER LINK WANTED

(By Telegrapl

WELLINGTON, Last Night, Suggestions for the better control of Rugby football among the Maoris werq .made by delegates of the Maori dis(tricts which waited on the Council of ;the New Zealand Rugby Union by inviJtation to-day. The deputation consisted1 'of Messrs W. T. Parata (WaipounamaJ, jA. Takarangi and Kingi Tahiwi (TaiiHauauru), H. Leaf (Tokerau), Eru Po (Bay of Plenty), and J. Palmer (North [Otago). Mr. Tahiwi explained that the Maori Advisory Board had been set up in 1926 owing to some trouble having develop-. ed among the Maoris over the selection ,of the Maori team which toured Great iBritain and France in 1926. The board, ;Consisted of the leaders of the Maori' .people. The board had divided the Bom;nion into four Rugby districts, three in the North Islancl and one comprisingi the South Island. It had no constitu-j tion as far as election. was concerned.i Trouble began in 1933 when certain per-, sons started to question the constitutionj •of the board. The board had always, endeavoured to have Maori football con-i |trolled by Rugby Unions in each dis-| trict, but during the past two years! 'there had been a change in the attitudei !of the Maori people. Mr. Parata said most of the dissatis-i ;faction had heen caused by the beliefj that the control of Maori football had| 'drifted into one or two hands. He1 jthought the board should be composed ;of two delegates elected from each of1 the four Maori Rugby districts. ^ Mr. S. S. Deau, chairman of the coun-! 'cil, said if the Maoris came to the union, i Iwith concrete proposals the New ZeaJland Union would be only too ready to thelp them. Dr. G. J. Adams (Wanganui) oonsidered there should be a mueh closer link Ibetween the N.Z.R.U. and those conftrolling Maori football. He would like! !to see the Maori Rugby Advisory Board' 'eomprised of a representative from each, jof the four Maori districts with threej jEuropean members, oue mem'ber of, 'Parliament and one mem'ber of the. Council of the N.Z.R.U. ; Mr. Dean .outlined what the N.Z.R.U. ihad attempted to do to help Maoxi 'football in the past. ! Thq Maori delegates withdrew for a jconference and later submitted proiposals for the reconstruction of the ;Maori Advisory Board which were j adopted -by the council.