"COLOUR BAR"

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVI, Issue 23425, 15 August 1939, Page 16

"COLOUR BAR"

HUGBY CONTRO'VEESY STATEMENTS UNJUST NORTHERN UNION'S ATTITUDE ;£feom our own correspondent] WHANGAREI, Monday "The statements that have been made that there is a 'colour bar' in Rugby football in New Zealand are unjust to the majority of unions in the country," said Mr.. J. Finlavson at a meeting of the North Auckland liugby TD'nion.. ' ; j,_ "This union should mako its position cleap," continued Mr. Finlayson. "Here we have a large Maori population and perhaps the majority of tho players In the area arc Maoris. In connection with t;ho selection of Maoris for the tour to Soilth Africa, the JCew Zealand Union niipht be doing an injustice .to the Maori people if any players wero included, as in that country they may "j be bejittled," concluded' tho speaker. "No reflection has been cast on tho Iscw Zealand Union or any other union by the statements that have been made," said the president; .Mr. L. J. Brake. "Tho reflections are cast on the people who made the statements. Wo are particularly proud of our Maori footballers and many .Nortfy Auckland teams have been , comprised chiefly-of players of Maori blood.!' v Mr. L. Parore, of Northern Wairoa, a Maori delegate, said that ho appreciated that the' matter had been brought up. especially in view of the visit of the Fiji team. "My views were expressed when, an the occasion of the visit of tho Springboks, the North Auckland Union took up the attitude that it would not play the South Africans if they objected to playing against Maoris. The North Auckland Union has done its best for the Maori players and wo appreciate this very much,'' said the speaker. Mr. Harding Lccf, the nsrthern member on the New Zealand Maori * advisory board., said that he appreciated very much tho manner in which pakcha and Maori were working t.ogetheis for the betterment of the Rugby game. REPRESENTATIVE : GAME AND THAMES VALLEY [from our own correspondent] HAMILTON, .Monday Only one change is announced in the Waikato Rugby team which has been selected to play the Thames Valley representatives at Paeroa on Saturday. D. Caldwell, who was not available when the team played Bay of Plenty, is replacing Hall in the forwards. The team selected by Mr. H. t-.' Ensor is as follows:—Fullback, J. Ensor; threequarters,C. Perkins. A. J. Aitken. W. J. Phillips; five-eighths, J. Cole, E. Taylor; halfback. P. Tetzlaff; back row M. Warrender; middle row, J. Flannngan, T. Macky. A. Thomson, J. G. W.vnyard; front row; J. M. Taylor,. E. H. Catley, 0. Caldwell; reserves, R. Everest,. J. Everest, A. E. Hall, C. .Stanicich; G. Stewart. J The Thames Valley team Is as follows: — Fullback, Rapana (Plains); threequarters, Mortimer (Te* Aroha), . Ludwig (Waihi). Fisher (Plains); five-eighths. Woodlands (Waihi), Martin (Paeroa); halfback, Clarke ' (Te Aroha); - forwards, ,Parton (Te Aroha), Parker (Plains), Heenan (Paeroa). kotara (Plains), Dwight (Tt< Aroha), Gjbbs 'F s . roa), Brankin (Paeroa), Rowe (Te Aroha); emergencies. Scott (Plains), Gibson (He Aroha), Johnson (Waihi), ? tral Vp° or iJ\ Aroha). Muirhead (Paeroa). .sisher (Paeroa), Ford (Paeroa).