MAORI FOOTBALL TEAM.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume LXIV, Issue 11106, 1 August 1911, Page 5

MAORI FOOTBALL TEAM.

VISIT TO MASTERTON

INTERESTING REMARKS,

"One of the objects of our tour is.to encourage the game of football among the Maoris," said Mr W. T. Parata, manager of tlio New Zealaud Maori football team to a Wairarapa Daily Times representative this morning. "The tour will be conducted on purely amateur lines, and if there is a surplus after all expenses are paid— which we hope will be—it will be devoted to some Maori charity to be decided upon by our management committee. We play clean football —the open game that, the spectator likes—and, without wishing to appear egotistical, I may say that our team plays a more sportsmanlike game than perhaps any other combination in New Zealand. Most of the players learned their football at Te-Ante College—and it is at the colleges where proper Rugby is taught, and where it is instilled into the boys to play the ball and not the man. Our men nave been given instructions to play a clean game, and fast and open, in the hope of being able to show our white brother that the Maori understands how Rugby should be played.'' Mr Parata stated that their team included many players known to every football enthusiast in New ,Zealand. They included "Corkscrew" Kaipara (Poverty Bay), a North Island representative and member of the Maori team which toured Australia last voar; Tiki, a smart half from Canterbury; Takarangi, a North Island representative, who played for Wanganui against Wairarapa somo years, ago; Rongo, five-eighth of tho Otago University team (champions of Otago); Rvland, of Gisborne; and Rogers, of Rotorua; Moana Paratene, formerly of Masterton (and half-brother of Cunningham, the famous All-Black forward), whom Mr Parata considers will eventually develop into the finest lock in New Zealand; Burnett, of Dunedin; Makahnri, of Hawdce's Bay; Cochrane, of Northern Wairoa, and Dawson, of"Hawke's Bay; Dansey, of Otago University, and an Otago representative; Sillars and Ha 11,., Auckland representative, and Hughes, a Manawatu representative. Hall, Sillars, Hughes and Dansey have not vet joined the team, but it is expected that Hughes and Sillars will arrive in time to play against Wairarapa on Thursday next. The backs are fast and clever, ■<. being good on both defence and attack, while the forwards are a hard-working lot. The average weight of the "forwards is list 21bs, and of the backs list Tibs. Takarangi is captain of tlio team, and Rongo vice-captain. Mr Parata states that though the match with Wairarapa is to bo played at Carterton, his team will stay in Masterton, as they prefer this town, lie, together with other members of the combination, was somewhat surprised that it had been decided to play the match at Carterton instead of Masterton. The team will leave for Palmerston North on Friday morning.

The team had a successful practice on the Showgrounds.this morning.