OFFER TO NEPIA.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVI, Issue 130, 4 June 1935, Page 8

OFFER TO NEPIA.

RUGBY LEAGUE STATEMENT. "NO AUTHORITY GIVEN."

Referring to the Press Association nieesage from Gisborne yesterday, in which it was stated that the Maori Rugby Union full-back, George Nepia, was visited at Ruatoria by a stranger and offered money to play for New Zealand against the Australian Rugby League representatives, Mr. Cyril Snedden, president of the council of the J?e\v Zealand Rugby League, to.day said that no authority had been given to any affiliated league official to approach any union player. If it was true that Nepia had been seen, it must have been by sonic private enthusiast, who could be credited with ingenuity in suggesting as an inducement the inclusion of Nepia in a national side against Australia. "Good as Nepia may have been in 1924," added Mr, Snedden, "I think I am correct in stating that Rugby League in the Dominion has a number of wollqualified full-backs, and it is not likely that the authorities, if interested a« alleged, would take the risk of acquiring a player who had not been seen in action and was entirely new to the code for such important fixtures. Further than that the New Zealand selectors have not been appointed, so no guarantee of a place in a side against Australia could be or would be given any player, no matter what his reputation."