RUGBY IRELAND TOUR:NOT BEFORE time, given it is their centenary, the New Zealand Maoris finally received belated apologies from the South African government and both the South African and New Zealand rugby unions six weeks ago for the latter's unwritten agreement not to pick Maori or Pacific Island players on All Blacks' tours to South Africa during apartheid.

This policy affected the selections of both the 1928 and 1949 tours, and even when rectified to a degree in 1970 with the inclusion of Bryan Williams and Sid Going, they were selected as ‘honorary whites’.

The campaign to receive official apologies was led by the media, particularly Dave Long of the Sunday Times, and when the South African government led the way, within a week both rugby unions followed suit simultaneously.

“You consider that in 1949 New Zealanders, including those of Maori descent, had just returned from fighting in the second World War, and were then told you can fight for your country but you can’t go on a rugby tour to South Africa,” says Long.

The New Zealand Maoris coach, Jamie Joseph, seems keen to play this down.

“That all went on at the start, there was a row and at the end it got where it should have been at the start. That’s all been taken care of. I think this, if mainstream media had put the pressure on the people that needed to say the apology 40-50 years ago, the problem wouldn’t have happened mate. Now people are more culturally aware and that sort of thing wouldn’t happen.”

Joseph, who also coaches the Wellington provincial team, is busy enough with a young family and business, but the lure of coaching the Maoris, all the more so in their centenary series, was too strong to resist.

“We’re all the same,” says Joseph simply. “We’re all from the same culture. We live in New Zealand but clearly we’re Maori, and then when we play in this team it’s a unique team because we learn about our own culture, which we don’t necessarily get in mainstream education.

“We live in a bubble of professional rugby, so in this team, while we have all professional rugby players, we try and take it back to, and have a link and an awareness with our people, and so that’s the governing force that drives the team as opposed to professional responsibilities. Usually when that happens the boys understand the binds are there and out it comes.”

Much of Maori culture is linked back to the land. Joseph picks up the Maoris team sheet and, to underline the fact that each player is playing for his family or his tribe, points to the whakapapa (ancestry) beside each name.

“This is where they are all from, this is the people they represent,” he explains and points to the entry beside fullback Robbie Robinson, Southland.

“Ngati Tuwharetoa is from Lake Taupo (about 60 kilometres south of Rotarua) and that’s where Robbie Robinson’s family originates from and that’s their family tree. So what we do in this team is give them an idea of who Tuwharetoa is, and where they come from, because Robbie Robinson is from Southland, which is right down in the bottom of the south island but his Maori genealogy goes back to Lake Taupo.”

In the heel of the hunt then, the New Zealand Maoris are not playing for money, they’re playing for pride in the jersey and a sense of identity. This was the same 100 years ago, and when Joseph played for them from 1991 to 1995, and if anything there’s possibly more emphasis on their Maori history and culture now.

“It was a lot more informal then, it’s a lot more formal now. I think that’s because there’s a lot more publicity now and a lot more awareness, and the players are driving it more.”

The flamboyancy, or Maori flair, associated with their teams came in part from a relative lack of size or power which they encountered. But in modern times, with the advent of professionalism and players being as physically developed as they are, they not as readily overpowered in closer quarters.

“But generally, the skills that are associated with that sort of rugby are possessed by our players, so predominantly that’s how we play,” adds Joseph.

However, the Maoris don’t play every year (they didn’t play in 2009), so this year particularly, Joseph is on record as saying there is more of an onus on them to play winning rugby.

“The best thing that we can do to make sure that we promote our team is to perform, so that means winning. And if we can get out there and perform internationally then that just puts a bit more pressure on the people that have to make decisions about who’s going to get what fixtures the following year.”

They certainly don’t lack for motivation.