"MAORI FOOTBALL IN BALANCE"

Evening Star, Issue 22414, 11 August 1936, Page 4

"MAORI FOOTBALL IN BALANCE"

PROMINENT OFFICIAL’S VIEW MEMORIES OF SPRINGBOK MATCH “ 1, as une who played against the Springboks for the Maori team in 1921, regret very much the acute situation that has arisen in regard to another match against the 1937 South Africans,” said Mr Arthur Grace, chairman of the East Taupo Rugby Union, and a former New Zealand Maori representative, in a statement. He suggested that the New Zealand Rugby Union should call a conference of leading Maoris to “ heal the wound which apparently still smarts.” He declared the controlling body should leave no stone unturned to reconcile all parties, as “ Maori football is now in the balance. On principle,” he said, “ 1 agree with the feelings expressed by To Arawa, which have boon the cause of all subsequent comments by various Maori leaders and footballers throughout the country; also, that tribe’s objection to certain treatment at the iiands of the last Springbok team cannot bo too readily passed over —for did not Te Arawa entertain them at Rotorua for two or three days? ' “ With regard to the game itself, it was an exceptionally hard battle between two great _ packs, neither side asking for nor giving any respite whatever, and with the ‘Maori pack always maintaining a slight ascendancy, feelings at times ran very high, and things were said during the heat of the moment that-would never have been said under ordinary circumstances. “ For instance, a Springbok forward and ravself on one occasion were involved ‘in quite a heated argument, Dutch, Maori, and English words being intermingled in the course of it; lint after the match, when I happened to meet him at an entertainment, he came along and apologised, and I returned the compliment. We shook hands over it.

“ With regard to certain remarks made by a Maori All Black at Wairoa that To Arawa have not produced many good footballers, it may be interesting for readers to know that of that famous 1921 Maori team five of us were descended from Te Arawa, one back and four forwards, while Wairoa had one sole representative. So it hardly seems feasible or fair that he should make such a disparaging , statement. “ However, now that all this controversy has broken out,” Mr Grace continues, “ I would suggest that a conference be called by the New Zealand Rugby Union of all leading Maori. Rugby supporters and any others who may wish to attend, and endeavour, if possible, to heal the wound which apparently still smarts among some of the Maori people. I feel that if the New Zealand Rugby Union is sincere in its feelings towards Maori Rugby it should leave no stone unturned to bring about a reconciliation of all parties interested, for Maori football is now on the balance, and a wrong move will be disastrous.”