LEAGUE FOOTBALL

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 519, 28 May 1909, Page 5

LEAGUE FOOTBALL

• ' TEAMS FOR AUSTRALIA. MAORI COMBINATION CHOSEN. Mr. Ford, wiio jvas recently delegated by the Now.South-Wales Rugby League to visit New Zealand and arringo for the visit df two teams to play/ Northern rules exhibiti'm mato'hes'iti Sydney,' has returned to .New South Wales (says the Sydney "Daily Telegraph" of Saturday, last). : Mr. Ford experienced bad luck'in so far as the weather was concerned, and had difficulty in pitting to th® various centres of .'Rugby in tho. now Dominion. He appears to have been successful in his mission, however, and promises to surprise the Sydney people when the toams make'their appearance here. Discussing the matter with a .representative.Of: "The Daily Telegraph," Mr. Ford said: "I have/secured n. team which by reason of'its' skill and. experience of (the- Northern game will-open , tho'eyes of Sydney, people. • It iu- : eludes nine of the best performers of the Amateur and Northern tlnion 'All Black' team that- recently toured Groit Britain. Several other men' entirely new to Sydney will also' mako their appearance hero, and should thfc 'Kangaroos' - maintain their form, some of the most exciting contests witnessed on the Agricultural' Ground should .. take place. These men have been selected from tho' Auckland, Wellington, and Canterbury, provinces, the famous Tnrnnaki district also' contributing much strength to the combination." ■ '• -. . - .' Tho principal' drawing card of tho visiting 1 contingents will be the spectacular displays of tho, Maori- combination. - When Mr. Ford reachcdNew Zealand he found that a cor-' 1 tain chief, Toitapaira, of Tauranga, had a team of Maoris which : he called the. Kiri Km toam. : in train, with the object of bringing thorn to Sydney to ..meet' league players here. 1 Tho chief impressed iipon Mr. Ford that lie did nqt care for the behaviour of some Natives who ih/id previously visited Sydney, and had carefully selected his own combination. Mr. Ford was not satisfied with tho showing of this team; and informed the chief that His purpose in visiting New Zealand was to secure the strongest possible .Maori football team,-and not a contingent of Sunday school teachers. All previous negotiations were cancelled) and Mr. J. H. Hotet, of To Kuiti, undertook to collect a team. . Valuable assistance was (riven in this work by Mr. Hetet's..brother; and Mr. Barclay,, tho interpreter of the. House of Representatives', who spent the whole of his holidays in this connection. The result was a fine team was secured, and it has been taken to Mr. Hetet's estate,-whero they will train until their departure for Aust?alia on July 16.'' Mr. Ford complains of tho bitterness of the New Zealand Rugby Union.. ■ Tho Maoris who have signed the contract to come over under tho league are Riki Papalnira, Honi Tuki, H.. Pakew, N. Rateto, Norai M'Rae (captain, who scored all the points for the Taranaki team against the Anglo-Welsh team), H. Hataua, Wi Tana Murray, Hikatareua, Haukore, Ririnui, K. Pouwhinwhiu, Pra Corburn, Rewi Maniapoto, ,T. Hetot, P, Pakbre. H; Pihama, D., Turner, A. Haira, Wo Nera (old Te Auto boy), W. Puktiro, and Taniu.