RUGBY FOOTBALL

Northern Advocate, 21 June 1926, Page 5

RUGBY FOOTBALL

ORDERED OFF. LUCAS AND WEBBER. AUCKLAND, This Day. In a game between Ponsonby and Marist Old Boys, Lucas, the All Black, captain of the former, was ordered off, and also Webber, another player on Ills side.—Press Assn. MAORI TRIAL MATCHES. CLOSELY CONTESTED. TIMARU, This Day. The match between the South Canterbury representatives and the Maoris of the South Island was played under ideal weather conditions. The ground was in excellent order, and there was a large attendance. The final score was —Maoris 11, South Canterbury 14. Press Assn.

GAME AT GISBORNE. SPECTACULAR FINALE. GISBORNE, This Day. The first of the Maori trial matches attracted a record attendance of some 4000 and provided a very fast game between the Coast combination and the rest of the North Island. In the first spell the former were superior, but the visitors improved in the second, and putting on eight points in the last 10 minutes won a spectacular game by 18—16. Nepia was in great form for the locals and Shetland was most conspicuous for the North. SHARP FRICTION, i BOARD AND UNION. CONCERNING SELECTORS GISBORNE, This Day. Lack of harmony between the Maori Advisory Board and the New Zealand Rugby Union was evident at a meeting !after Saturday’s trial match to select a team for the vfisit to Franco. | Captain Pitt (chairman) asked Mr jParata (Dunedin) to enlighten members | regarding the progress of the selection. Mr Parata said the matter had been taken out of the Advisory Board’s j hands by the New Zealand Rugby Union, which had taken upon itself ta | nominate two selectors (Messrs Parata [and Tokarangi, of Wanganui), leaving i the Advisory Board to appoint a, third, who, Mr Parata suggested, should come from the Gisborne, district. The announcement astonished those, present, who - had thought that the whole Board would act as selectors. It was resolved that Mr Parata, as Maori representative on the New Zealand Rugby Union, should bring under the Union’s notice the fact that the Advisory Board resented its functions being usurped, especially in view of the fact that the New Zealand Union was not contributing one penny towards the cost of the Maori tour. — Press Assn.

trenchant criticism a: WRONG IMPRESSION. WELLINGTON, This Day. In reference to a telegram from Gisborne, Mr S. :S. Dean, chairman of the N.Z. Rugby Union, said fie statement that the Union had. appointed selectors for the. Maori team was incorrect. He Commented rather severely on the apathy, and inattention of the Maori officials, who never troubled to reply to letters. Mr Doan said he had gone to Levin to attend a meeting of the Maori Advisbry Board, and when he got there found no meeting and that no arrangements had ever been made for it. The secretary was then changed, but the position was most unsatisfactory, and had matters been left to the Maori Advisory Board, with its haphazard and unbusinesslike methods, the tour would never have come off at all. ‘'The Union hoped that the remark that the tour would not cost it anything would prove correct, but it was not so sanguine as the promoters about it, and, in any case, the board should be deeply indebted to the N.Z. Rugby Union for the excellent arrangements made for the tour by it and Air Wray, its representative in London.— Press Assn.