THE MAORI FOOTBALLERS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LI, Issue 183, 24 July 1908, Page 4

THE MAORI FOOTBALLERS.

A DKAMATiC FINALE. DISCItACEFUE SCENE. For the first time the Northern Union (England) game of Rugby football was introduced to Toowoomba. yesterday afternoon (says the Toowoomba Chronicle of Blh July), but it was under circumstances that will certainly go a long way to send the game into oblivion in this portion of the State. Mile fact .that the All Maori team touring Australia was to meet a Queensland representative team was in itself suflicicnt inducement to attract a large gathering, and with such a delightful afternoon a crowd of upwards of 2500 —the record football crowd for Toowoomlia—thronged the grounds to see the teams do battle, and they did do battle—with a vengeance. The gathering included a very large number of fashionably dressed ladies, and they must have felt utterly disgusted with the closing incidents of the game. The contest was a vigorous one from the outset, the Maoris had their colours pulled down in Brisbane the previous Saturday, and they seemed bent on recovering tlieir lost laurels. But as vigorous as the game was, it could not be said that the rules were infringed until approaching the end. It was then than an incident occurred which, to say the least of it, was disgraceful, and reflected no credit on the Maoris—or, perhaps it would be more correct to »ay. on three of them. The new game had Ik'cii very interesting, and not a few were greatly taken up with it. The Quoonslamlers played it equally as well as the New Zealanders—in fact.) they had a lead of two points when the occurrence which marred the whole game took place, Play was about the half-way line when a "New Zcalandcr, got the ball and quickly got rid of it. One of the (Jiieenslanders—Andersoninterfered illegally with one of the Pakerc Brothers, but it was not done in a rough spirit, and did not justify in the least degree the treatment he received. Immediately he was throwm to the ground heavily on his face, and' when he got up he made a hit at one of the I'akere Brothers, but the blow did not get within feet of the mark. "Blood is thicker than water," and the other Pakerc rushed up from behind and dealt Anderson a couple of fierce blows. An outburst of disapproval came from the spectators, who hooted vigorously. The referee witnessed the incident, and ordered Pakere oIT the Held, and he went to leave. The New I Zealand captain then came on the scene, and culled his men oil' the, field. Meanwhile, the spectators had rushed t Ik; ground from all directions, and the field was a surging mass of humanity. A fighting spectator vigorously struck Pakere, and a blow—or a shove —sent the spectator to earth. Pandemonium reigned. There were wild cries from the spectators, and tfoe New Zealanders left the field to the accompaniment of groans and hooting, whilst the Que'enslanders were cheered lustily. After remaining on the field for some time, the Quccnslanders left, and there were some heated words exchanged in the dressing room afterwards.All along the line the Maoris met with a hostile demonstration, and as they left in tlieir cabs they were hooted. Tho scene from the commencement was disgraceful, and has just about rung the deathknell of the Northern Union game so far as Toowoomba is concerned.