In Tonga it's the game that matters

What are normally classed as winter sports, such as rugby foot ball and soccer, have long been in full swing in Tonga. In rugby, the Tongan Union has a particularly important season in front of it—three matches against the visiting Maori team in May and a 10-match tour of Australia, beginning mid-June.

To get through the local competition in good time and to conduct trials, engage in fund-raising contests and make final preparations for their trip overseas, the Rugby Union decided to open the current season as early as January 27.

There’s a danger that when the Tongan representative side reaches Australia, some of the players may have become stale after five months of regular competition and hard training behind them.

On the other hand, the cooler climate and the natural excitement and challenge of playing overseas may put new life into them. The side should certainly be match-fit. However, Tonga will need to put up a much beter showing than they did against the visiting Fijians last year to match the hardy and determined Australians.

New Zealand wasn’t the only country that burnt up the elec tricity during the early hours watching and listening to the fortunes of the All Blacks during their tour of the United Kingdom. Tonga did its share, applauded every winning move as warmly as any Kiwi.

But the Tongans couldn’t equate with the famous All Blacks fighting machine—just as they find it hard to understand what all the fuss was about concerning the proposed NZ visit by the South Africans.

To his mind, the game is the thing—to participate in it with relish or watch two great sides pitting their strength, their speed and skill against each other would be the maximum form of enjoyment. Noth ing else matters for the moment, like his domestic politics, his religion, his culture and his eating habits.