MAORIS & RUGBY

Wairarapa Times-Age, 1 August 1939, Page 7

MAORIS & RUGBY

SHOULD MORE WEAR SILVER FERN? MR CULLEN, M.P., ALLEGES COLOUR BAR. REFERENCE TO LEAGUE TEAM. (By Telegraph—Press Association.) WAIROA, This Day. A statement to the effect that if there were not so much colour bar in Rugby there would be more Maoris included in the All Black teams, was made by Mr E. L. Cullen, M.P.,' at the opening of the new Rangiahuia Native school. The remark was made by Mr Cullen during the course of reference to a farewell which had been given to members of the New Zealand Rugby League team in Parliament Buildings last week before their departure for England. There were, he said, six young Maori boys in that team, magnificent specimens of the race. They were going to do battle on the football fields at Home, and while there he felt sure they would uphold the highest traditions of their race. While in England they would be ambassadors of this country. “There is no colour bar there,” he added, referring to the League team, •‘and if there was not so much colour bar in Rugby we would have more Maoris wearing the silver fern than in the past.” . Mr Cullen added that he had seen young Maoris playing in the Wairoa Rugby representative team who were well worth a game with the Hawke's Bay team. POSITION IN WANGANUI (By Tclegrapn—Press Association.) WANGANUI, This Day. “There is no colour bar in Wanganui representative Rugby,” stated the President of the Wanganui Rugby Union. Mr A. Takarangi, referring to a statement of Mr E.. L. Cullen, M.P. "If Wanganui Maoris are worthy of selection over their European associates the colour bar does not come into the question. There have been some very fine Maori players in Wanganui representative teams.” IN HAWKE’S BAY MANY MAORI REPRESENTATIVES. (By Telegraph—Press Association.) NAPIER. This Day. “Clearly Mr Cullen’s remarks regarding the colour bar in Rugby cannot be applied to Hawke’s Bay, for provincial sides for many years have had a very good representation of Maori players in them." said Mr N. A. McKenzie, sole selector of the Hawke’s Bay Rugby Union, this morning, when asked for his comment on Mr Cullen’s statement. Mr McKenzie pointed out that in the King’s Birthday representative fixture at Napier against Wairarapa there were seven Natives or descendants of Natives in the Hawke’s Bay team, and then in the return match at Masterton the Hawke's Bay fifteen included six Maoris. “I think these figures clearly indicate that the Maoris arc given representation that is considerably more than they would get proportionately,” said Mr McKenzie. “The Hawke’s Bay Union is noted for the encouragement given to Native players, and certainly it cannot be said that a colour bar applies to Hawke’s Bay Rugby. Would Mr Cullen like to include Maoris in the team to go to South Africa?” asked Mr McKenzie in conclusion. NO BAR IN WAIRARAPA MAORIS OFTEN SELECTED. In the Wairarapa there has never been any colour bar in regard to club or representative teams, Maoris having been over a long period of years, selected in representative fifteens if found worthy of that honour.