Sport Maoris and Summer Sports by Kara Puketapu Although we are now enjoying our winter sports, especially rugby, rugby league, basketball and hockey, all sportsmen are probably beginning to think about the coming summer season. Most Maori sportsmen probably don't give very much thought to what they will do during the summer. We must ask ourselves why this is so, and whether or not there should be more Maoris indulging in competitive summer sports. This is a vital question to the future of New Zealand sport in general, as the potential of Maoris as cricketers, tennis players, swimmers and athletes must be immense. From the little that has been seen of those Maoris who have succeeded and are succeeding in summer sports, there is no apparent reason why they should not produce top-line summer sportsmen.

Diverse Interests Most Maori summer sportsmen think, ‘What shall I do this summer?’ not, ‘I'd better start practising my cricket shots', or tennis strokes, and the such-like. Most Maoris have a whole host of sporting activities that they will indulge in during the summer, but they very seldom concern themselves with preparation for summer sports as they do for those of the winter. What usually passes through the mind of the Maori is, ‘I hope the summer is a good one for the beach!’ Invariably you will find large groups of Maoris going to the seasides each weekend to collect sea foods, diving for crayfish and all the other fruits of the sea. Underwater swimming is becoming popular, being a product of this pattern of beach-going. Also, during the spring and Christmas period large numbers of Maoris are involved in shearing, harvesting, freezing works and other seasonal work, which many treat as a sport. Pighunting and deerstalking also absorb many Maoris during the summer—there is never the call, ‘Let's go off and practise cricket or tennis'. So there are two basic facts here: the fact that most Maoris live in the country, and the trend towards activities that, though treated in a competitive spirit, are not on a competitive basis.

Rugby in Summer As far as I can see, the Maori gives little thought to summer sports, though I have often seen rugby and basketball tournaments being held at huis in the middle of summer. Also, billiards, snooker, kelly pins, racing, card play and two-up keep quite a number, especially seasonal workers, fully occupied. The normal entertainment offerings such as dances, cinemas and concerts also take their toll and many prefer them to a practice night at the nets or at the Athletic Club.

Individualism Perhaps the reason for this is that for most summer sports, a player must adopt an individualistic approach and spend hours of practice by himself. Myself, I think I would find this uninteresting, and I am sure many other Maoris would too. To spend an evening or Sunday morning hitting a tennis ball against a volley-board or bowling a cricket ball at a stick or fence, or sprinting down a track against imaginary opponents does not seem to appeal to the Maori. The actual game might be enticing but the individual practice demanded for competitive play seems to kill any keenness. The fact that there are Maoris playing summer sports and that they are not reaching the top-line consistently, if at all, is I think due to some of these reasons. One other point that can be added is that in most summer sports, unlike winter sports, bodily contact between players is absent. I am confident that we can excel in every sport, including summer ones; but so far, apart from the fact that most of us live in the country and have not had the opportunity to participate regularly, we have not yet developed the inclination.

Mr T. S. Karetu, who comes from Hawkes Bay, has been appointed information officer at New Zealand House in London. Mr Karetu, who is 24 years old, was educated at the Waimarama Maori School, where he obtained a scholarship enabling him to attend Wellington College. He spent five years at the College, and then went on to training college and university, obtaining a B.A. degree. He was an excellent scholar, with a special aptitude for languages. After this he went to England to further his studies and for a time was on the staff of an English public school. He had planned to go to America, but he had been offered and had accepted the post in New Zealand House.