The Guru's bark: My family (me and my brother) play fopr our tupuna.

Playing the game I love because my brother and I feel it's entrenched in our
blood. We both played for the jersey and the very proud tradition my whanau who include Tonga Mahuta, Pop Raihe, Harry Waikai, Rick Muru.

NZ Maori

Wednesday October 9^th
Re: New Zealand Maori Invitation XIII to play Murri Queensland Indigenous Side.
New Zealand Maori Rugby League chairman John Devonshire is delighted NRL players Sam Rapira, Bodene Thompson and Charlie Gubb have made themselves available for the NZ Maori side and their two match series against the visiting Murri Queensland Indigenous side. "We also had Adam Blair from the West Tigers and Api Pewhairangi from the Parramatta Eels but Adam needs off season surgery and Api has been selected to play in the world cup for Ireland through his mothers ancestry."
The experience these three bring to the side will be a huge boost and along with New South Wales Cup players Steve Waetford, Kurt Kara and Scott Jones, this too will also help the cause.
It's a good mix with young Warriors Holden Cup player Kouma Samson and Waikato teenager Hamiora Mihaka also being named in the side. Mihaka has had a huge season with his championship winning club side Taniwharau, representing Waikato and his zone Waicoa Bay, attending the Universities World Cup in England with the NZ Students and now the NZ Maori team. The nineteen year old fullback or centre certainly will relish the opportunity to rub shoulders with these higher skilled players.
Maori rugby league has a huge history in New Zealand rugby league plus the numbers that play the game around the country at all levels, especially south of Auckland where the Maori communities exist, places such as Huntly in the Waikato, Waitara in Taranaki, Gisborne Tairawhiti, Te Awa Kairangi in Wellington. It is an awesome opportunity to build relationships with our Aboriginal Indigenous brothers.
The Murri People are part of the Artie Beeston Foundation, named after one of Australia's finest players obviously of Aboringal descent. Beetson's sons along with former NRL stars Tony Currie and Nathan Black lock will be part of the Queensland entourage.
Game One: Davies Park, Huntly 3.00pm Saturday October 19^th
Game Two: Puketawhero Park, Rotorua 3.30pm Saturday October 26^th

New Zealand Maori Rugby League XIII to play Queensland Murri Indigenous

No.	Name	Club	Competition	Based
1	Steve Waetford	Auckland Vulcan's	NSW Cup	Auckland
2	Thyme Nikau	Howick Hornets	Fox Memorial	Auckland
3	Rusty Bristow	Papakura Sea Eagles	Fox Memorial	Auckland
4	Zebastion Luisi	Howick Hornets	Fox Memorial	Auckland
5	Tee Mahe	Glenora Bears	Fox Memorial	Auckland
6	Cody Walker	Mount Albert Lions	Fox Memorial	Auckland
7	Jody Henry	Brisbane North Devils	Queensland Cup	Brisbane
8	Sam Rapira	NZ Warriors	NRL	Auckland
9	Kurt Kara	Newtown Jets	NSW Cup	Sydney
10	Charlie Gubb	NZ Warriors	NRL	Auckland
11	Bodene Thompson	West Tigers	NRL	Sydney
12	Rulon Nutira	Hornby Panthers	Canterbury	Christchurch
13	Scott Jones	Canberra Mounties	NSW Cup	Canberra
14	Hamiora Mihaka	Taniwharau	Waicoa	Hamilton
15	Tony Tuia	Howick Hornets	Fox Memorial	Auckland
16	Jay Pukepuke	Halswell Hornets	Canterbury	Christchurch
17	Kouma Samson	NZ Warriors	Holden Cup	Auckland