MAORI ALL BLACKS

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXVI, 4 September 1934, Page 4

MAORI ALL BLACKS

ROPU WATSON OF NELSON SELECTED FINE RECORD IN REPRESENTATIVE RUGBY Mr Ropu Watson, captain of the Nelson Rugby representative team, lias been selected in the New Zealand Maori All Blacks to tour southern provinces this season, commencing at Timaru on the 12th September. Watson is one of the best centre threequarters in New Zealand to-day, and his appearance for the fourth time in the Maori All Blacks should enhance h.is chances of selection, in the Maori team to tour Australia next year, and also bring him further under the notice of the New Zealand selectors who must be experiencing difficulty in sorting out suitable tlireequarters for tlie English tour; Though Watson lias had a long experience in representative football he still lias the advantage of youth on liis side, his age being 24. He is oft llin in height and weighs 12 stone. After playing outstanding football for New Plymouth High School during the years "that school was invincible among the secondary schools of the Dominion in 1929, at the age of 18 years he found himself selected to represent Taranaki, and since then he has an enviable record in big football. He represented Taranaki in 1929, 1930, 1931 and 1932, and then transferred to Nelson where lie has been captain of the representatives for 1933 and 1934. He was first selected for the New Zealand Maori team in 1930. In 1931 lie was vicecaptain of that team, and followed this up in 1932 by captaining the Maori side. In 1929, 1930 and 1932 (captain) he was a member of the Western North Island Maoris and in 1932 lie captained the Taranaki Maori team.

In the game between Nelson and Canterbury last Saturday Watson was described as the best ' centre tliroequarter seen on Lancaster Park this year, and that is no mean tribute. Followers of the game of Rugby in Nelson will join in congratulating Watson on his selection again this year in the New Zealand Maori team.