RUGBY TOUR

Evening Post, Volume CXX, Issue 1, 1 July 1935, Page 11

RUGBY TOUR

MAORIS ASSEMBLE

BOUND FOR AUSTRALIA

LEAVING TOMORROW

i Most of the Maori Rugby football representatives selected for the tour of Australia ,assembled in Wellington today, and they took the opportunity this afternoon of having a practice at Athletic Park. The team, with Messrs. Kingi Tahiwi and W. J. Wallace as colmanagers, is to leave for Sydney by the Watiganella tomorrow afternoon, and prior to its departure the touring party will be formally farewelled by the New Zealand Rugby Union's management committee. This evening the Maoris are to be the guests of the Clem Dawe Revue Company and are also to be entertained at a dance. The players chosen for the tour are: Backs— G. Nepia (East Coast) captain, C. Smith (Hawke's Bay), W. J. Phillips (King Country), J. McDonald (Marlborough), J. Hemi (Wairarapa), T. Ngaio" (Taranaki), T. Chase (Wanganur), N. Kotua ' (Nelson), J. C. Reedy (East Coast), H. Harrison (East Coast), and C. E. .Mellish (Marlborough); forwards—H. Whiu (North Auckland), B. Mitchell (Bush District), IC Reedy (East Coast), W. Cooper (North Auckland), J. Kershaw (East Coast), G. Harrison (Taranaki), L. Kawe (King Country), H. Mataira (Hawke's Bay), P. Farata (Otago), B. Rogers (Poverty Bay),. J. Greening (Hawke's Bay), P. Smith (Hawke's Bay), T, Whiteley (Bay of Plenty), and J. Broddick (Bay oi Plenty). MATCH PROGRAMME. The Maori team will be in Australia for five weeks, during which time it will play matches in Queensland, New South Wales, and Victoria. The programme drawn up in Australia includes a match with Newcastle on August 7, but this has not been en- ; dorsed by the New Zealand Rugby Union's management committee. The other matches to be played are:— July 10—v. Warwick, at Warwick. , t July 13 —v. Queensland, at Brisbane. , July 17—v.. Toowoomba, at Toowoomba.. ■• t •■ ■ ] July 20—-v. Queensland (or Australian team), at Brisbane. ;.'.■'.■ July 24—v. Far West, at Dubbo. July 27—v. New South Wales, at Sydney. July 31 r -Victorian country match. August -3—v. Victoria, at Melbourne. August s—v. New South Wales, at Sydney, i August 10—v. New South Wales, at ; Sydney. ' ■ . . . ; The team is to leave Sydney after the match on August 10 for Auckland, ■ and will probably play two matches in New Zealand before disbanding. , TRIBUTE TO W. J. WALLACE. It is evident from reports from Aus- ; tralia that the Maoris will be extreme- j ly popular with the crowds likely to , be attracted to their games. There is1 special interest in the fact that the ' famous full-back of 1905, W. J. Wallace, will be one of the officials with the team, which will be captained by ; another famous full-back, G. Nepia, of • the 1924 New Zealand team. ' • If there, had been "books" on the ] coming matches against the Maori , Rugby Union team there would cer- > tamly have been a shrinkage oi the , odds against the visitors' during the 1 past few days, states a writer in the - ' Sydney Sun " There - is' only one j reason but a very good one . . . ; W J ( Billy") Wallace. The,. manager - of the W32 All Blacks to Australia is , coming again as co-manager of the . New Zealand Native combination, and j that means that in all their games the , Maoris' opponents will have to beat ) sixteen men if they are to win. ■ ( Ihe v-oild can possess few .better judges ol football and footballers; few . so proficient in generalship and tactics, < possessing such keen perception in all ] things Rugby, or equal ability to assess ( and analyse the weaknesses and j strength of the *en on the other side < of the field. W J Wallace is one of the very few footballers who has left ] his mark m two generations of the i game To thousands he remains the < one and oniy "Billy" Wallace, one of < the greatest of the great All Blacks, a j star with the 1905 team of "originals." : With thousands more he has won j almost equal admnation as an adminis- ] trafor. good sportsman, and fine per- < S The 1932 All Black side that Wallace ■ brought here was not outstanding at i the outset, and in Sydney lost the j first Test by 22-17. Wallace started the team-building on the train journey to Brisbane. He made of each member a confidant and friend. By the time the team reached the northern capital each shared a common desire—to make good.; From the frequent round-table conferences that Wallace held'in Brisbane there emerged a new" All Black team, ( a crushing combination which won the ] succeeding Tests,'in Brisbane by 21-3, ; and.in Sydny 21-13, and returned home, • triumphant. ■ '. ■■ . , '