Letters

Airline competition is brilliant

As a keen observer of the imminent/cur-rent price war between airlines, I just want to say, "it's about time." How long have airlines been able to charge their exorbitant prices and consumers have had to grin and bear it?

I think it's brilliant that there is competition. Fiji is always a great place to holiday for families, backpackers and professionals who need a break. However I do feel that (Air Pacific's) John Campbell's comments need to be contextualized because as a person who has gone and checked out the $499 to Fiji with accommodation package, I note that the hotels on offer are only the budget ones... therefore if you (Campbell) want tourists who will spend, ensure that Air Pacific has the cheap airfare and accompany it with accommodation that is five star.

This would ensure that even if a traveller is saving with their airfare, the tourism industry can still recoup costs in accommodation and tourist activities/sight seeing options.

Kia kaha!
Litiana R Qiosese
Auckland, New Zealand

New Zealand does not poach rugby players

Your article (March 2004) on rugby in New Zealand allegedly poaching rugby players from the Pacific is a pathetic tissue of lies. It regurgitates blindly prejudiced views that have repeatedly been proven to be not merely inaccurate but outright wrong, verging on deliberate lies with the express purpose of stirring up emotion to an issue that is non-existent. NZ has not and does not poach players for rugby purposes.

There are clubs and provinces that recruit players from the Islands to play for them, but surely if we didn't the same whinging stirrers would be up in arms and complaining that NZ never did anything to help or develop Pacific Island rugby. Strangely there wasn't the same rape and pillage arguments made in 1999 when British clubs recruited members of the Tongan and Samoan RWC teams. It seems this xenophobic lashing out is reserved for NZ for reasons obscure and known only to the ignorant soapboxers and those that give these modern day false prophets a forum to dredge up their hate and unfounded claims.

Surely as an alleged Pacific Island forum you would know about the Pasifika drift towards NZ over the past 20-30 years. You seem to be suggesting that this existed purely due to the NZRU luring players, their families and future scions to NZ for rugby. Surely you should know that NZ has a very large domestic born Pacific Island heritage population. Are you suggesting that these men should not be allowed to play for their country of birth?

Looking at the various squads in the 2003 RWC in Australia you may be surprised to find that only two of the All Blacks were born in the Pacific Islands, both of whom moved to NZ at a very young age. If this does surprise you, will you be shocked when you look at the Tongan, Samoan and Fijian squads and see how many of those players were born in NZ, added to the numbers that live in NZ, were educated and learned their rugby in NZ and indeed earn their living playing rugby in NZ?

Your article was an unwise one to publish with such blatant and easily discredited errors of fact. While you may try to claim the freedom of speech, surely as serious and competent journalists you have a duty to your readers, your chosen niche and above all your profession to ensure that your articles are unprejudiced and correct? Otherwise all you do is provide an outlet for every crackpot and agenda runner going.

Yours,
Justin Mansfield
Sydney, Australia