VISIT TO FIJI

Manawatu Standard, Volume LV, Issue 244, 12 September 1935, Page 2

VISIT TO FIJI

UNIVERSITIES’ HOCKEY TEAM PLAYER’S EXPERIENCES.

Commenting, in an interview, on the recent visit by the New Zealand Universities’ hockey team to Fiji, Mr K. N. Struthers, who was a member of the touring combination, having been chosen from the Massey Collego team with Mr H. B. Lawry, said that with the services of a coach for a year the teams in Suva should reach a standard of equality with those of the associations in New Zealand. Their representative team might not then be equal to those of Auckland and Christchurch, but they would be comparable with those of the minor New Zealand associations.

Tlie touring team played five games, including three Tests, winning four and drawing in the other (the first Test). Sixteen goals were scored by the Universities’ team and they had five scored against them. The grounds were excellent—tlie best lie had ever played upon, continued Mr Struthers, although he had had experience of playing areas at Wellington, Christchurch, Palmerston North, Otaki and Auckland. The only area which approached the perfection of tho Suva ground was the oval at tlie Palmerston North Sportsground. As a result of the perfection of the grounds and the ability of the Fijian teams the play was very fast. One of the home side’s forwards had an official time of 10 seconds for tho 100 yards. The visitors found the fast ground troubled them at the outset, although they became used to it later. Mr Struthers considered that the visit of the Universities’ team had done much to improve the Fijians’ game. Hockey was not played by full-blooded Fijians, many of the members of the home teams being Europeans. Speaking of the standard of refereeing, Mr Struthers expressed the opinion that it had been very good, one referee in particular having given expert exhibitions. Dr A. F. Hickey, the manager of tho touring side, had taken the vvdiistle for a number of games, and in the last Test lie and Mr Munro, formerly of Waikato, who had captained the New Zealand hockey team which went to Australia some years ago, had been the umpires.

THE SOCIAL SIDE. Throughout the tour the New Zealand team had been treated in a most hospitable manner, trips, dances and other entertainments being arranged. One trip had been to the Colonial Sugar Company’s works at Nasouri, and another to the island of Mbau, the old native capital, where the paramount chief of tlie group resided. A relation of the chief, Edward Thakambuu, who had been a pupil at the Wanganui Technical College had lieen with the visitors a great deal and accompanied them on many occasions. He took them to his own school, being a teacher (lie had also attended the Auckland Training College), and there the pupils had entertained the New Zealanders with dances, singing and demonstrations of basket-making. The singing had been especially beautiful, and was unaccompanied. Alter visiting Mbau the team had gone to a native village on the mainland and been given a lull ceremonial welcome, being presented with a whale’s tooth, which is regarded as an exceptional honour. Tho visitors there witnessed the making of kava and had been invited to partake of it. Although they had had one feast at M-bau, theie was another arranged at the village and the ceremony took such a tune that a match arranged with a B grade team had had to be abandoned. Spear, fan and club dances had also been given in their honour. A welcome ball and a farewell ball had lieen arranged, and in addition the members of the team had been given complimentary tickets to a ball held at the Grand Pacific Hotel on the occasion of the visit of the liner Strathaird from Australia on a winter pleasure cruise. A civic reception had been given and the team were entertained at Government House. The Governor, Sir Murchison Fletcher, had witnessed two of the three Tests played. ;