A REPORTAGE OF THE MAORI SPRINGBOK MATCH

Te Ao Hou, October 1956, Page 17

A REPORTAGE OF THE MAORI SPRINGBOK MATCH by Kem Tukukino As for the weather, dark clouds were gathering, but the sky was far from overcast. The more serious ones discussed the question uppermost in everyone's mind ‘Can they do it?’ Eden Park was a wonderful sight. Here were gathered the thousands who had waited so long for this match. From the Bluff oyster beds, the sheep farms of the East Coast, the dairy farms of Waikato and Taranaki and from Northland, the people had assembled in what must be considered one of the greatest tribal gatherings of modern times. The atmosphere seemed strangely subdued; the carnival spirit which had been apparent in the city and at pre-match functions the night before had disappeared, and in its place there was left a state of tension. There was, in that large crowd, a feeling of belonging, of one-ness and of pride, such as is apparent at any large hui. As one university student put it, it makes you feel great to be a Maori. It seemed a pity therefore that the organizers did not make full use of an opportunity to show the pakeha—and the Maori too—aspects of Maori culture which would have proved both beneficial and entertaining. This however was only one fault in a huge administrative job, which in all other respects was done most creditably and efficiently. As match time grew nearer, excitement revived; it increased during the last curtain raiser and reached a crescendo as the black and green players ran on to the field. There was silence while the National Anthem was played and then terrifying roars as the Maori team did their haka. The composition of the teams was as follows: