Tonga's chatter,

chatter football is on again

From Betty Sanft

in Nukualofa rOTBALL started early in Tonga this season with a visit from New Zealand’s Kahukura Club, of which the Tongan All Black lock forward, Arthur Jen nings, is a member. In three matches against local club teams this youthful side, only recently promoted to A-grade, was de feated—but not disgraced.

The visitors were a popular and enterprising group of both Maoris and Europeans who played hard, clean Rugby, and set a standard of behaviour off and on the field that would be hard to beat.

Next year Tonga is to send its first Rugby side to New Zealand, and, according to the visiting coach, the fast and heavy Tongan players should do well. He said they have to do more packing and rucking, but their clean open back play will be much appreciated.

The visiting referee was amazed at the constant chatter on the field since in New Zealand only the captain and vice-captain are permitted to speak. In Tonga all the players issue instructions and call for the ball, or for this or that movement. Naturally, they often contradict one another, and this slows the game. When both sides follow this practice it reaches alarming and ludicrous propor

tions, especially when the specta tors join in!

Tongan footballers are, of course, well known in New Zealand, where such fine players as the Batty brothers and Dave Solomon, as well as Arthur Jen nings, have worn All Black jerseys.

Arthur Jennings, incidentally, is claimed by Fiji as its Rugby hero —but only by accident of birth.

The fact is that the Jennings family has always lived in Tonga, where Jennings senior is a fore man in the timber milling industry and a respected member of the community. But it was during a family visit to Fiji that young Arthur was born. Tongans are justly proud of Arthur’s achieve ments and regard him as their own.

In years to come the claim to Arthur Jennings could be classed as a controversy similar to that of the origin of Fiji’s farewell song, Isa Lei. The same melody, with Tongan words, has been sung here since the turn of the century, and there is documentary evidence to show that its composer is the now elderly noble of Nukunuku, Tu’ivakano (see P/M, Apr., p. 85).

The last full-throated ren dition of the famous song was heard here when the victorious Fiji touring team left with the coveted Rugby trophies, the tanoa (kava mixing bowl) and lali (wooden drum).

A Tongan team presents Itself from a different angle when it gets in for some scrum practise. Rob Wright took the picture in Suva.