FOOTBALL

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLIII, Issue 2329, 15 September 1921, Page 3

FOOTBALL

Consequent upon a statement that l he Springboks had expressed a dislike to playing the Maori team on account of the colour prejudice, Kiwi, Amohau and Tai Mitchell, representing the Arawas, telegraphed from Rotorua to the manager of the team regretting that the Maoris, who extended courtesy and hospitality to the Springboks in Rotorua, did not know their feeling in the matter, and adding: “With that in your mind, to accept a welcome and break broad with our people, then later to insult them as you have dime, is not, according to the Maoris, the honourable code adopted by gentlemen.”

Commenting on the Foxton IV. v. Levin High School IV grade match, which was played at Foxton on the IDIIi insl., Mr J. Sciascia, the referee, in a note to the Chronicle, says: “I was very much astonished at the class of football these boys play, considering that their ages range from 12 years to 1G years. It was a pleasure to referee for I hem, they understood the game so well —real lip-top forward rushes, and the passing was as good as ever one wanted to see. This. I think, is a credit to them and their coaches. Summing up the sizes of the hoys, I firmly believe that the Horen whenua Union can run another grade very easily, which I think would he well patronised. For instance, raising the age limit of the Fourth Grade to 17, and running a Fifth Grade with an age limit of 14 would allow a lot of hoys to play. By (his means Foxton could raise two Fifth Grade teams, Shannon two, Koputaroa one, and Levin two, verv easily. South of Levin, 1 should think live teams could easily be raked up, and they could be played exactly the same way as the juniors to avoid a lot of travelling. I am of opinion that by encouraging the young boys to play our national game, in the course of a year or two, our standard of football in this Union would be as good as the big centres. I know as a fact that there are many young men to-day who do not play simply because they never got the chance, and I hope the day will soon come when all young lads will be given the opportunity to distinguish themselves on the football field.”