SUCCESSFUL TOUR.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIX, Issue 207, 2 September 1938, Page 9

SUCCESSFUL TOUR.

MAORI RUGBY TEAM. FIJIANS' HIGH STANDARD. DOMINION VISIT MOOTED. As a result of the tour of the Xew Zealand Maori team, the Fiji Rugby Union will benefit by between £700 and £800. stoted Mr. S. S. Dean, manager of the team, which returned by the Monterey to-day. Mr. Dean said the tour had been a success from every angle. "The standard of the Fijian teams was much greater than we were led to believe." said Mr. Dean. '"Though they lacked th.* finer essentials of the game, they made up for it in physical fitness and speed. They play a fast. open game, getting the ball out to the wings on every possible occasion. The wing-three-quarters. Seru "and Frank, have both broken even time, and the back line in the Tests was, in fact, very fast. The forwards were on the average taller than the Maori jiack, and the average weight of the scrum was 13st 111b. They excelled in line-out play." Mr. Dean said that the Fijian Union was desirous of sending a team to Xew Zealand, and in this connection Mr. J. D. K. Taylor, the ex-Auckland and exW T ellington representative, who will be arriving in Xew Zealand on September lti, had been authorised by his union to enter into negotiations with the Xew Zealand Rugby Union. It was suggested that the tour should take place in 1940. Rugby was played in all the Fijian schools, and as the masters were mainly New Zealanders the boys were getting a good grounding, said Mr. Dean. The future for Rugby in Fiji was particularly bright. He added that the mem- I hers of the team were overwhelmed "Jth hospitality, particularly by the Fijian people themselves. Mr. Dean said that there had be<n record crowds at all the games. At the final Test on Saturday, which was won by Xew Zealand, there was the biggest crowd that had ever l>een seen at- any function. The team Ijad been unfor-

tunate in the matter of accident*. The ground in the first Test was particularly hard, and the players suffered many minor injuries. At the present time Jackson was still suffering from the effects of an injury to a thigh and ankle. Wordlv had suffered an injury to his ribs, and the captain. Howell, had sustained a knee injury. White had a badly gaelied finger.

Each side won one Test and one was drawn, while the Maoris won games against Fijian and European fifteens. Welcome home to the team was expressed at a reception in the lounge of the Hotel Auckland this morning before the members left for Eden Park. Speakers were Messrs. H. Frost, president of the Auckland Rugbv I'nion, L. V. Carmine, president of the"King Conntry I nion and vice-president of the New Zealand I'nion, which he represented. S. S. Dean and Leaf co-managers of the team, E. Howell, captain, and A. A. Baker, chairman of the management committee of the Auckland Union.

Assurances that the team would remain loyal to Rugby were given by the captain. Howell, "who stated that the team had been overwhelmed bv the hospitality of the Fijians. Mr. Dean expressed his conviction that the visit of the team had done much to advance the progress of the Rugby code in Fiji. This was corroborated by Mr. Harding.