PRINCE’S CUP GAME

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19099, 21 August 1936, Page 14

PRINCE’S CUP GAME

MAORI RUGBY MATCH TOKERAU CHALLENGE TAIRA WIITTI DEFENDING Especial interest attaches to the prospects of the Prince of Wales Cup match between teams representing Taitokerau (North Auckland) and Tairawhiti (East. Coast) to be played in Ruatoria on September 12, these' districts having opened the Prince’s Cup series when the trophy was first awarded for competition among Maori footballers of the various canoe districts. in the first match for the cup, played in Gisborne. Taitokerau won the trophy by beating Tairawhiti, the occasion being marked by an unusually large assembly of Maori and pakeha enthusiasts. In those years Tokevau embraced practically the whole of the northern half of the North Island, but, a change in the boundaries in the meantime has limited the field of choice for the northern districts selectors, and Tokerau has not- held the cup in the last few seasons, though the district has taken a prominent part m the competition. SELECTING THE TAIRAWHITI TEAM

The Tairawhiti selectors will not announce the team to defend the cup until the first day or two of September, but form shown in club, sub-union and union district matches is being closely studied, with a view to putting in the field the strongest possible combination to defend the cup, which came into the hands of Tairawhiti as the result of the match played in Waitara a few weeks ago. In this connection the match to be played on the Oval to-morrow, between y.M.P. and Celtic, may be of interest, as several members of the Y.M.P. team are likely to receive consideration from the Tairawhiti selectors. The meeting of the rival club teams is expected to be decisive in relation to the issue of the Poverty Bay union’s senior championship, and tiie players engaged on both sides may be expected to show their best form.