RUGBY IN GEYLON

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 23227, 22 December 1938, Page 16

RUGBY IN GEYLON

POPULARITY WITH NATIVES MAORI PLAY AS MODEL [by TELEGRAPH —I'll ESS association] WELLINGTON, "Wednesday "Now that the Indians and Cingalese have discovered that the game of Rugby does not consist of rough tactics, but that it is a scientific game, providing an outlet for skill, they are fast taking it up," said Mr. Gordon Blyth, formerly a member of the Wellington Football Club and now a iesident of Adelaide, who arrived by the Wanganella yesterday. He described a visit he made to Ceylon as a member of an Australian team of young players, who undertook the tour to gain experience. "We played live games in Ceylon and won the first three," said Mr. Blyth. "In the fourth game, in which, incidentally, I captained the Australian side, we played an All Ceylon team. This team won the All India tournament, and beat us by 17 points to 16. It was described as one of the best gaines seen in Ceylon. The first game was against a team composed of Cingalese. In the other rrames the Australians played combined teams of Europeans and Cingalese. J he All Cevlon team, when it won the All India tournament, was composed ot European players. Mr. Blvth said the Cingalese played a style of football which very closely resembled the Maori game. I lie Maori team which played in Ceylon on its wav to France had left a very deep impression, and the Cingalese bad modelled their game on the type of football produced by the Maoris. They were very fast and played an open game.