Sports Review

The Teams Went

Out For Life

From Norman Baxter in Suva INDIAN soccer footballers in Fiji are a temperamental lot. Albert Park, Suva, each Sunday, when the competitions are played, gener ally sees a brawl of some sort, with heated players warring among them selves—and often with the spectators.

The Suva Soccer Association has been concerned for some time, and early this season its disciplinary committee handed out a couple of salutary punishments—life disquali fication on two individuals.

But that punishment failed to have any effect. Determined to show who was master, the disciplinary committee then went a stage further.

It disqualified two teams for life, and a third team also, except the goalkeeper.

The goalkeeper either was well away from the brawl, or decided it was not worthwhile risking a punishment. The referees’ reports in the case of one game where two teams were disqualified said that both sides played ungentlemanly football, and finally finished up in a free-for-all.

The team, less goalkeeper, that was disqualified, also had played ungentlemanly football, was guilty of disorderly behaviour, and abused and threatened the referee.

So no more soccer for 32 players, unless the appeals committee finds in favour of them —if they appeal.

That’s certainly showing the flag.

Should Be A Hot

Series

FIJI rugby followers are looking forward with interest to the visit of the Corinthians’ Club, from the Auckland district in October.

The enterprising Imperials Club in Suva has organised the visit, and for Fiji it is almost a full-scale tcur. Before arriving in Suva the team has to play at Lautoka, Vatu koula and Nanukuloa (near Raki raki). Then follow three games in Suva.

The visit is more or less to return a visit paid by the Imperials to New Zealand at the end of the 1956 season.

However, the visitors are scheduled to play in Fiji towards the end of October, when the hot season is just

aiound the corner. Local men com plain about the heat at that time of the year, so people are beginning to wonder how the Kiwis will stand up to it.

Tonga Wants To

Tour New Zealand

FOLLOWING the recent satis factory visit by a Fiji team the Tonga Rugby Union is to again approach the New Zealand Rugby Union on the possibility of a tour there.

Such a tour was rejected by the New Zealand Union in 1956, on the ground that too little was known of Tongan performance.

Negotiations will be re-opened on the basis of an excellent perform ance against the Fiji team (although Fiji won the series).

Because a UK team will be tour ing New Zealand next year there would be no possibility of such a tour being arranged before 1960, though Japan and NSW are contending for tours in that year, and the All Blacks will be overseas touring South Africa.

Prince Tungi said in Suva in August that he would co-operate in providing sea transport with one or other of the new Tonga ships, if overseas tours were arranged.

Tongan Boxer Kaihau

Starts Well

■ From J. P. Shortall, in Auckland LATEST in the long succession of Tongan fighters to go to New Zealand, Alani Kaihau made a good opening at Auckland on Sep tember 9, when he defeated the well-considered Masterton pro fessional middleweight J o h n i e Peterson by a technical KO in the fifth.

Kaihau, who weighed in at 10 st 11 lb, had the upper hand from the opening of the scheduled ten-round contest. Peterson took a good deal of punishment, Kaihau very little, and the fight was stopped in the fifth when Peterson, bleed ing badly from the mouth, took a count of eight.

TONGAN cock-of-th e-roost Kitione Lave, against the ad vice of his manager, Jimmy Lumb, was scheduled to fight Man chester scrap dealer Joss Burton in a bare-fisted contest at Doncaster, England, on September 12.

Lave received a warning from the British Boxing Board of Control that he would be liable to dis ciplinary action if he fought the unapproved fight, which was for a purse of £500.

Fiji won the Rugby series against Tonga in July-August, two matches to one, with plenty of interest for the Tonga crowds, who flocked to the matches in thousands (see August RIM).

But the Fijians found the Tonga grounds hard, and had so many injuries that they had to send home for replacements. Here are the teams, Tongans standing, taking the field for one of the Tests. —Hettig, Nukualofa.