BOWLS OVERSEAS.

Auckland Star, Volume LIX, Issue 261, 3 November 1928, Page 14

BOWLS OVERSEAS.

TOURISTS RETURNING.

PARTY ON THE AORANGI. A WORLDWIDE TOUR COMPLETED

(By TRUNDLER.)

The party of bowlers arriving by the Aorangi to-morrow will complete the return of what is claimed to be the largest party that has ever crossed the seas in connection with any sport, and in that respect New Zealand has set a high standard to the world. But it is in its after effects more than in the tour itself that this great pilgrimage seems destined to live in history, for wherever they have gone they have given hearty invitations to visit New Zealand. There seems to be no question that the invitation to Australia will be cordially accepted, for every week there is a little more definite news of parties being arranged for the Tests to be played in Wellington next January, followed by competition in the annual tournament. A letter this week gives the names of two rinks already made up in Melbourne—Allott, Blackwood, Beulke, Arthur Clarke; Gray, Glenister, Blair, W. Bleach. The last four will probably be one rink to compete in the Test, according to "Boomerang," of the Sydney "Referee," and it seems probable that au attempt will be made to field eight rinks in all, one from each State and an extra one each from Victoria and New South Wales. Not much news has come from Tasmania and South Australia, but the Hobart "Mercury" states that there are several aspirants in Launceston for inclusion in a Test rink, and the Adelaide "Advertiser" says that nominations were to close last Tuesday for the tour to Wellington. It is rather surprising to learn that in Adelaide they are calling for alternative nominations for a tour of the Dominion at the beginning of next March, but probably they have found that the local fixtures prevent good players from nominating for January. This is certainly the experience in Melbourne, where the trip will interfere with the pennant matchesIn every place it is more than likely that a mistake has been made in calling for nominations, for we found in New Zealand last year that the response was negligible, only three nominating, whereas when a meeting was called in Auckland there was quite a good response. When New Zealand arranges for a return visit to Australia it is to be hoped that the Dominion Council will not again make such a mistake, for all players are now willing to enter when they see in the room what the company is likely to be. Players From Fiji. When the Aorangi arrives it will probably be known more definitely what prospects there are for competitors comin« from Fiji, for Mr. Hardley's party weie going to press them to enter. Mr. J. Caughley, late ef Wellington, formerly Director of Education, seems to be interested in the scheme, and will probably be the backbone of any touring partv arranged, if they come at all. Although not many can be expected to cross the wide Pacific Ocean for a game, the ultimate possibilities in this direction appear to be very great, for ir. Western Canada and California the game has made marked progress latelv, and players are already crossing the border in competitive touring parties. A policv that might well be exploited bv the Dominion Council would be to join'forees with Australia in a campaign to induce Canadians and Americans to spend their winter in the southern summer in New Zealand when the Tests are played here, and in Australia in the alternate year.' No doubt the returning tourists will have found what prospects there are of getting competitors, if we can offer them this alternative inducement. It is worth working for, seeing that it would probably result in these alternate tournaments in Australia and New Zealand developing into the most important in tho world. The Party in California. When the Makura left San Francisco with a few southern members of the party, the rest were at Los Angeles, where they had been tendered a civic reception by the Mayor of the city, who afterwards showed them round the magnificent Town Hall. The first match was on the Exposition Park green, where we lost. Next day we also lost in a match against the Beverley Hills Club, but in neither place was the green first class. Apparently the local people had heard of the triumph of our partv throughout Canada, for at Beverley Hills they would only play three official' rinks, whereas the inclusion of the unofficial rink would have turned a loss into a handsome win for us on the aggregate. P*ssadena provided a splendid green and we won by 79 to 77, afterwards being tendered a dinner. At that function Mr. Hardley drew attention to a very peculiar feature, that California was the only place throughout the world tour where the Press made n< mention of their visit. Neither the civic reception nor the matches wen even referred to. There were two Prcs« representatives present and the\ admitted that they had not previoush realised the value of the game from a social and community point of view for the rest of the tour thev were coin" to give due publicity tb the Zealand visit.

After the departure of six members of the party by the Makura, it was necessary to play only three rinks, for there were only eleven plavers left, viz 4 WW-7- E * A T reV ' G - " F - Campbell, i x ll^ n ' A - J - Car son, W. F. Hardley, J. W. Hardley, J. M. Thomson, J. H. Thomson A. J.Parker, F. J. Hill and *. Moffatt. However, they found an English player at Los Angeles, a MiPorter, and he agreed to fill the vacancy for the remaining matches. Those who returned by the Makura were Messrs Lorimer, Frame, Suhan, Hutchison, Adess and McKinnon, all for the South Island, except Mr. Suhan, of Palmerston North, and it will be noted that nearlv all returning to-morrow arc Auckland men. No doubt arrangements will be made to give them an official welcome in a week or two, either at a complimentary match or at a social function of some kind. If the South Auckland bowlers come to the city in the carlv future, to play for the Hardley Shield, it might be a good idea to combine the social while they are here, in order to include Mr. Rogers (Ngaruawahia) and Mr. Armstrong (Te Awamutu), who returned a month ago. However, this is a matter of detail for subsequent arrangement. In the meantime those who arrive to-morrow may be assured of just as cordial a welcome on the wharf as was given a month ago to those who arrived in the Niagara, on their return from a world-wide trip which will be a lifelong memory to them, and possibly an epoch-making event in the world's history of bowling.