Maoris proving popular among Welsh

Press, 28 October 1982, Page 36

Maoris proving popular among Welsh

NZPA staff correspondent

Swansea

Whatever their final tally of success on the rugby field, the New Zealand Maoris have already gone a long way towards ensuring that they will be remembered as one of the best regarded teams to have visited Wales.

The word "popular" is already being widely used in the Welsh press to describe the team as it has set about cramming a wide range of activities into its month in the principality. AU the players have been busy visiting schools and rugby clubs and the team’s captain. Paul Quinn, said yesterday that their reception had invariably been “very warm." “The school children are always keen to learn about New Zealand and to try and learn how to do the haka,” he said. The interest in the haka. even at civic receptions where the Maoris are often asked to perform it. has been so widespread that the tourists are now trying to play it down.

Maoris typically divided up to visit three valley clubs — Crynant, Glynneath and Trebands.

wrongs of the tour never seem to be raised,” he said. The Maoris’ tour has several novel aspects, one being that the players take turns in being in charge of warm-up exercises at training so that everybody is fully involved. Another aspect has been the way in which the 700 supporters travelling with the team have been regarded as almost part of the official party. The supporters, who include the most famous of all Maori players, the 1924 All Black, George Nepia, have also received many invitations to Welsh clubs. They are often in close contact with Maori team members. “Many of the supporters are relations so there’s a closer tie-up than on most rugby tours. Also we respect the fact that they are here in our best interests,” Quinn said. The over-all character of the tour has become one of relaxed and outgoing players determined to enjoy themselves — an image which Welshmen will tell you is far different from that projected by some All Black sides of recent years.

Quinn was part of the group which visited Glynneath where the village choir had been invited along and entertained the tourists for three-quarters of an hour. He said a feeling had emerged from talking to people on such visits that Welshmen believed they had a special affinity with Maoris as the original occupants of their land.

“They are very interested in you as a Maori and in your passion for rugby. They especially like to reflect in the past glories of Welsh rugby and what they think will be a glorious future. “They think the flair that we bring to our rugby will be like a breath of fresh air and hope that some of it will rub off on Welsh players,” he said.

“We now ' try to do a couple of Maori songs instead,” he said.

The Maori captain said the team had consciously decided to squeeze in as many visits to schools and clubs as was possible without it affecting the playing side of the tour. On Monday night, the

Quinn said that contentious issues such as last year’s Springbok tour were never topics of conversation. “They think it’s great the Maoris held the Springboks to a draw but the rights and