2010 marks the centenary of the New Zealand Maori rugby team, who began with a team selected to tour Australia in 1910. They were captained by Alex Takarangi of Wanganui and also contained two members of the famed 1905 Originals, Billy Stead and Bill Cunningham. Stead, incidentally, captained the first ever New Zealand team in a home test against Great Britain at Wellington in 1904.

They have fashioned an impressive record since then and their list of wins have included Australia, the British & Irish Lions, Canada, England, Fiji, France, Japan, Manu Samoa, Scotland, Tonga and the United States. Recently there has been controversy surrounding the centenary celebrations involving South African rugby and their racist past. Reacting to a call for an apology, NZ Maori Board chairman Wayne Peters ruled this out stating that we should be concentrating on celebrations and not bringing up the past. I feel this is the perfect time to talk about those issues and put them to rest forever.

How refreshing therefore that South Africa's Sport and Recreation Minister Rev Makhenkesi Arnold Stofile without prompting apologised to Maori players excluded from All Blacks teams in 1928, 1949 and 1960. How sad that the Maori board of the NZ Rugby union had to be approached three times before conceding that an apology was in order and then only after the South Africans had written their letter.

But this conundrum to apologise or not raises the issue about how it is that Maori (who were the wronged) are held responsible (the Maori Board) for the poor judgement of those who were ultimately responsible for the problem (the NZ Rugby Union). The chances are minimal that the Maori Board had the final say over whether or not a team that excluded Maori would be sent to South Africa in 1928, 1949, 1960.

Interesting therefore that the NZ Rugby Union have manipulated the outcome to make the Maori Board the villains and themselves merely bit players. This situation is sooooooo common that this writer asks how come we (Maori) allow it to happen. Why are we calling for the heads of the Maori Board to roll when the NZ Rugby Union had it in their own hands to apologise. Indeed from where this writer sits they had absolute responsibility for making the apology not passing it off to the Maori Board to act as a buffer for their own racism. The only shame the Maori Board need carry is that of whakama, the shyness of being Maori that enables them to be players with their colleagues in this sick game of bash the victim.

NZ Rugby Union, you may bleat as long and loud as you like about how you value the input from the Maori Board BUT even recent history shows that this only happens on your terms in your time. The apology was yours to make NOT the Maori Board. Step up and accept your responsibility or show yourselves for the self serving group of people that you are.

By Allister Walker