I've always had in my head that if Maori had more exposure to football in small towns and if they understood the game then they wouldn't move across to rugby. Alot of Maori and Pacific Island talent is always lost to the rugby codes especially in smaller towns and rural areas outside the main city centres. For example where I grew up in Whakatane theres seven rugby clubs scattered outside the town in rural areas and near schools. You see rugby posts everywhere in these rural areas where myself and other maori grow up in. When I went travelling through latin america it was total opposite. Imagine having football at Pa Wars between different Iwi and the skill levels on show rather than the typical touch, rugby or netball. Good on Winston for investing more into football for future generations.
I've always had in my head that if Maori had more exposure to football in small towns and if they understood the game then they wouldn't move across to rugby. Alot of Maori and Pacific Island talent is always lost to the rugby codes especially in smaller towns and rural areas outside the main city centres. For example where I grew up in Whakatane theres seven rugby clubs scattered outside the town in rural areas and near schools. You see rugby posts everywhere in these rural areas where myself and other maori grow up in. When I went travelling through latin america it was total opposite. Good on Winston for investing more into football for future generations.