MAORI RUGBY ACTIVITIES

Taranaki Daily News, 2 August 1932, Page 9

MAORI RUGBY ACTIVITIES

CUP AND REPRESENTATIVE GAMES. ATIAWA TO PLAY MANAIA TEAM. Rugby football among the Maoris of Taranaki is more popular this season than it has been for some time, healthy tribal rivalry seeming to find expression on the Rugby fields. A series of. matches is in the process of decision for various cups and shields and the Maoris of the Taranaki province have two representative matches in view. Te Atiawa, with a team drawn from the Waitara and New; Plymouth districts, have three times this season"successfully defended the Troy Cup, _ for competition between tribes from Tainui in the north to Ngarauru (Waitotara) in the south. Tainui were beaten by 32 points to 3, Ngarauru 36 to 8, and Taranaki (Opunake) by 11 to 8. Atiawa have now issued a challenge to the Manaia Maoris for the Ratapa Cup and the match is to be played at Manaia on Wednesday. The Ratana Cup is open to tribal challenge in the Wellington, Wairarapa, Wanganui and Tara, naki districts and is, it is understood, the most important Maori football trophy in New Zealand, excepting the Prince of Wales Cup. The Atiawa team will be composed chiefly of Maoris who play senior football >in North Taranaki. A representative meeting of Maoris will be held at Manaia after Wednesday’s match. It is expected that then will be made arrangements for a representative Taranaki team to visit Te Kuiti shortly for a game against the Maniapoto representatives. The return match against Wanganui is to be played at New Plymouth on August 13. Mr. J. Martin, Opunake, is a selector.

The Atiawa team to play Manaia will be selected from Broughton (3), McLeod (3), McDonald, Joseph, Skipper, Thomas, Niwa, Stockman, Kawe, Tito, Peka, Paltridge, Garten, Mcßoberts and Roberts. Mr. I. Moa is the secretary,