MAORIS AND SPRINGBOKS.

Taranaki Daily News, 17 September 1921, Page 7

MAORIS AND SPRINGBOKS.

ALLEGED PRESS CABLE. THE SPRINGBOKS LIBELLED. At Wellington on Wednesday Mr. H. F. Bennett, the manager of the Springboks team, made reference to a matter that members consider of special importance. It was in reference to a statement in the Napier Daily Telegraph as under:— The following is a copy of a message apparently forwarded to South African newspapers by someone travelling with the Springboks team, and published in the Daily Telegraph:

“Most unfortunate match ever played. Only as the result of great pressure being brought to bear on Mr. Bennett induced them to meet the Maoris, who had assisted largely in the entertainment of the Springboks. It was bad enough having to play a team officially designated the New Zealand natives, but the spectacle of thousands of Europeans frantically cheering on a band of colored men to defeat members of their own race was too much for the Springboks, who were frankly disgusted. “That, was not the worst. The crowd was the most unsportsmanlike experienced on .the tour, especially the section who lost all control of their feelings. When not ‘booing’ the referee they indulged in sarcastic remarks at his expense. On many occasions the Africans were hurt, and the crowd, without waiting for the possibility of immediate recovery, shouted, ‘Take him off! Take him off!”

“Their faithful colored allies proved loyal to New Zealand, for, in addition to a serious injury to Kruger’s leg. Van Heerden had to. stay off the field for fifteen minutes, and others were limping badly. The Maoris flung their weight about, regardless of the niceties of the game.” MANAGER’S SPIRITED DENIAL. “The Springboks to a man,’’ Mr. Bennett, the manager stated, “are entirely blameless in the matter, and it conveys an altogether false impression of the match. The whole of my team and the officials are very much hurt, because the Maoris’have been particularly hospitable towards us. They ware certainly not guilty of any dirty play, and we have certainly not been a party to hurting their feelings in any way. On behalf of the whole of my associates I wish to give the report an absolutely unqualified denial.” Mr. Bennett went on to state that according to cabled advices he had received that day, it would appear that the South African papers had refrained from publishing the message. Incidentally he remarked that it was a matter for deep regret that a section of the Press of New Zealand had published a report of such a misleading character, and stated that the mischief would have never been done but for a cable leakage. Thiijeakage was, however, being made the subject of investigation by the Government. as clearly, on the face of it, it was a serious thing to make public what was a‘private message. Mr. Bennett’s denial was endorsed by Mr. G. Slade, chairman of the Management; Committee of the New Zealand Union,

who told a Dominion representative that the Springboks had had nothing whatever to do with the sending of the cablegram. \