Neu: 2001-10-31 Contents of this issue:
1. White Fright 2. Artists Celebrate 3. Anthrax Hoax ======================================================================== October 31st, 2001 1. White Fright: Whites, fearing the growing numbers of bigger, fitter and stronger Polynesians, are fleeing rugby union, the latest monthly issue of "New Zealand Rugby" reports. And it reveals that New Zealand, once a shrine to the oval ball, now has more registered soccer players -- 114,000 -- than rugby players, says an article from AFP. Around 17 percent of New Zealand's total population is Maori or Polynesian while the magazine noted that in New Zealand's four Super 12 franchises 56 percent of the teams were Maori or Polynesian, and 57 percent were in national provincial sides. The magazine noted that of the 150 plus seniors who played in Auckland's top competition this year, fewer than 30 were white. Calling it "white flight," the magazine said there were a number of reasons for the depletion. Dave Atkins, coach of Auckland's champion club side Ponsonby said once the club was a case of "the Mighty Whities against the rest." Then Maori started joining Ponsonby and it was whites and Maori against Pacific Islanders. "Now, it's the Mighty Whities, Maori and Tongans against the Samoans. There are lots of reasons why it's happening but it generally comes back to one thing ... the sheer athletic ability of the Polynesian versus the European." The story was similar at the Pakuranga Rugby Club, an area known as mostly white and middle-class. Their club coach Greg Kasper blamed "Soccer Mums Syndrome." "Mothers are concerned their kids are going to get a bit of a hiding at the hands of the Polynesian kids of the same age. "They realise that their kids are probably going to be swamped because the Polynesian kids are strong, bigger and have more skills than Caucasian kids of the same age." (AFP).Footnote: In Niue there are no whites playing rugby. The national team consists of Niueans, and ethnic Tongans and Fijians who reside on the island. 2. Artists Celebrate: Niuean arts and crafts are alive and well in Manukau even though the tiny Pacific nation is thousands of miles away, writes Auckland reporter Leonard Kumitau in the Manukau Courier. A group of women belonging to various weaving groups gathered at the Otara Music Arts Centre as part of the recent Niue Focus Week held in conjunction with the nation's centenary celebrations. The women demonstrated the weaving techniques used to make hats, baskets and fans as well as preparing traditional foods like the takihi, where sliced taro and paw paw are layered and covered with coconut cream. Co-ordinator and past president of Niue Kaufakalataha Louisa Lavakula says the focus celebrated 100 years of British and New Zealand government protection of Niue. "It's an event every Niuean wants to be part of and although some of us cannot be in Niue to celebrate it, we still wanted to do our bit here in New Zealand," says Mrs Lavakula. "Niuean women in this country doing this work want to maintain their culture and skills here," She says this can be difficult when the proper materials needed are not available in New Zealand. Mrs Lavakula says the much sought-after leaves from the pandanus tree have to be imported from Niue, something most weaving groups cannot afford to do. "If we want to keep up the skills here and share it with other Pacific nations, then we need more funding to buy the proper materials instead of using things like raffia," she says. The focus week ended with a prizegiving for the best artworks before a traditional feast put on by the groups. 3. Anthrax Hoax: Three simultaneous anthrax scares in New Caledonia's capital Nouméa Monday turned out to be hoaxes, research Institute Pasteur confirmed on Tuesday. The suspicious substance had been found in mailboxes of two banks (including US-owned Bank of Hawaii) and one Post Office, which had to be closed for business. Analyses performed at the Pasteur institute's bacteriological department revealed the white powdery substance was sugar.(Oceania Flash/SPC). __END__
