MAORI RUGBY TEAM.

Auckland Star, Volume LVII, Issue 144, 19 June 1926, Page 13

MAORI RUGBY TEAM.

. i ITS PERSONNEL DISCUSSED, j MR. W. T. PARATA'S VIEWS. j (By Telegraph.—Press Association.) GHRISTOHURCH, Friday. "The type of Rugby played by the French should suit the Maori team, which will play a similar type of open and fast football," stated Mr. W. T. Parata to a Press representative in the course of an interview here to-day. "Our team will be picked to play attractive football, whether it is winning or losing. Good play before the actual result is what we aim at. "'ln selecting the team we are going to study the social side of things, so before mere brilliancy in play we will take* men only of steady and reliable character," said Mr. Parata. "A steady fellow who looks after himself' always will play good football. I suppose also a Maori team is likely to be more open to criticism for its conduct off the field, so we are not leaving- anything to chance in this respect. "Presumably H. Jacobs, of Horowhenua, will be the captain. He is playing well at present, and he is a fine leader, not only on the field but off as well. He is a man of great personality, a good chap, and the players respect and think a great deal of him." Mr Parata said that a South Island trial match will be played in Timaru and a North Island trial game in Gisborne The final trial match will be the match on June 23, at Palmerston North for the Te Mori Rose Bowl, following which the team will be announced. It will leave for the New South Wales tour on July 23. Discussing the probable team, "Mr. Parata said it would be comprised mostly of young p.ayers, with several seasoned men to impart experience. The backs should be good, and a fast pack should be assembled averaging about 13} stone. A report that G. Ncpia, the famous All Black fullback, would not be available for the tour, was mentioned. "Well, he is playing in the East Coast combined team in the trials," was the reply, "and I think he will be all right." Mr. Parata mentioned that it was a possibility that one or two of the boys at Te Aute Maori College might be selected for the team. The school had some very fine players. He had found some material in the South, while up in Nortl Auckland there were some very good forwards. W. Rika, one of these, had been nominated for the North Island team. Asked whether J. Mill or J. Blake, of the New Zealand representative team, were available, Mr. Parata was not prepared to discuss the question of the probable personnel of the side, but he said that if Mill and -Blake were available there would be nothing to prevent the Maori team picking them up in Australia, Mr. parata obviously' was enthusiastic over the prospects of assembling a team which would do honpur to the game and to the Maori race.