February 14, 2022
Rugby league reignition needed
Former Māori Rugby League chair John Tamihere says the code is in disarray in Aotearoa – and the weekend clash between the Māori All-Stars and the Indigenous All-Stars only served to highlight the fact.
Mr Tamihere says the NRL season curtain-raiser was a great game on the field, but it wasn’t given the status it should have by the NRL, and the Fox Sport commentary featured a panel which couldn’t be bothered pronouncing player names correctly.
He told Paakiwaha host Dale Husband on this side of the Tasman players get poor support and numbers are dropping.
“We have to reignite it as part of a system for bringing our young people together to learn a whole range of other things they may not be getting from their community or family that others take for granted and that is what rugby league brought to me and my eight brothers whole played down at Point Chevalier and you and your four brothers up in Blockhouse Bay,” Mr Tamihere says.
The indigenous clash was won 16-10 by the Māori All-Stars.