MAORI TEAM'S RETURN.

Shannon News, 25 July 1922, Page 3

MAORI TEAM'S RETURN.

IMPRESSIONS OF THEIR- TOUR.

The members of the Maori Rugby team Which toured New South Wales arrived at Auckland by the- Manuka, after a good trip from Sydney; The players were met and welcomed by members of the Auckland Rugby Union, and escorted to the Royal Hotel, their headquarters during their stay. The tour was most successful, the team playing six matches, winning five, including two test matches against Neiw South Wales. This was the third tour ol* New South Wales since the famous Maori team of 188889, captained by Warbrick. In 1910 a Maori team played two matches against New South Wales and lost both. In 1914 they again lost twice to New South Wales.

Mr W. Parata, the manager, states that the. team is well satisfied with the tour, although the players met with many casualties, due to the strenuous tackling and the hard grounds, on some of which there was not a blade of grass. The tour was very arduous, the programme arranged providing for important matches on Saturday, Monday and Wednesday. The team naturally felt the effects, said Mr Parata, especially as they are all young players, the average age being 23, and the youngest player, Alcuira, of Te Aute College, 17 years. Two matches had to be abandoned owing to injuries to the players, out all the games were, exceptionally clean. Jacob, the captain of ’ the team, was injured in the first test match, and was unable to play on the rest of the tour. N 5 Stead, a young brother of “Billy” Stead, the oncefamous All Black, is also on tine, injured list, but will be available against. Auckland, and will captain the team. After the tour 19 players were incapacitated, but by sound massage and salt baths on the trip across the) majority have recovered. Nine are'still suffering injury, and it has been necessary to reinforce the team, Tapsell, Garliek and Kororiko, of the Bay of Plenty, joining thei team at Auckland.

The standard of Rugby in New South Wales was excellent, said Mr Parata, the New South Wales test teams being well balanced, backs and forwards. He thought the New Zealand Rugby team, which is about to tour New South Wales, would find a much improved standard and the New South Wales test team hard to beat. The Maori team was at a loss to understand some of the rulings of referees in New South Wales. On the line-out advantage was taken by the Sydney backs to run up niside the five yards limit and take the ball without penalty. Mr Parata suggested that a conference of referees of New Zealand and Australia should be held to arrive at a universal ruling. The Maori team left Auckland on Wednesday evening to > play a match against North Auckland to-day, returning to Auckland on Friday to meet, the Auckland representative team to-day. The remaining matches on the New Zealand-tour are as follows: July 26, play Poverty Bay, at Gisborne; July 28, play Wairoa, at Wairoa; September 2, Manawatu, at Palmerston North; September 5, Wanganui, at Wanganui. The team will then disband to re-assemble' later to play a match against the New Zealand team on its return from Australia.

A conference of Maoris prominent in Rugby is to be held at Wairoa, Hawke’s Bay, to consider matters of interest to Maori players, and a suggestion to play a series of matches. The Maoris were defeated at Auckland on Saturday by 16 points to 11. tsss* 9&S