A RUGBY INSULT.

Taranaki Daily News, 3 November 1922, Page 4

A RUGBY INSULT.

ATTACK ON NEW ZEALANDER. STATUS OF AITKEN. By Telegraph.—Press Awm —Copyright. Received Nov. 2. B.LI p.m. London, Nov. 1. Under the heading of “A Rugby Insult,” Mr. Cecil Wray, writing to the. Press ns the representative of the New Zealand Rugby Union, protests against the manner in whiph the amateur status of New Zealand players is questioned in England. He declares it is cafculafed to cause great resentment in New Zealand. He says that Aitken, soon after his arrival, was assailed by Press criticism expressing suspicion regarding his amateur status; and also, because he was colonial, he was put through a special form of inquisition as to whether or not he played the Northern Union game. Mr. Wray considers it. a poor compliment to the Now Zealand Union that one of its finest players should be so treated, and he acids that Aitken himself was deeply humiliated by the atmosphere of openly expressed mistrust. —Times Service.

Aitken, who captained the All Black team last year, recently wont to England as a Rhodes Scholar. He signalised hi« appearanre on the English Rugby field recently by playing a brilliant game for Oxford.