SWIMMING.

Auckland Star, Volume LX, Issue 246, 17 October 1929, Page 20

SWIMMING.

THE WATER POLO GAME. GRAMMAR CLUB'S FLIGHT. OLD PUPILS' SUPPORT NEEDED. Recognised as the most strenuous of games, water polo, now that a determined effort is being made by the newlyformed Auckland Water Polo Board to bring it more in the public eye, promises to become a popular summer sport in Auckland. The control board, which is composed of a delegate from each club, hopes to have a regular weekly competition, besides staging the usual matches at swimming carnivals. If sufficient teams come forward games will be played in more than one grade. So that there will be no shortage of referees, each club is being asked to select its own representative for the Referees' Association. Water polo has long been a popular game in Continental countries and in the United States. At the Olympic Games last year the water polo championship was captured by the Hungarian representatives, who defeated, among others, teams from Great Britain, Ireland, Germany, Sweden and Holland. The 9eaeon just concluded at Home eaw 40 teams contesting the club championship of England, and 15 the county championship, while Iβ teams were after the club premiership of the southern counties. For some years past the number of players in Australia has been steadily increasing, so that in all the main cities the swimming associations have set up separate bodies to look after the interests of the game. Interstate tours are a feature of the game on the other side of the Tasman, and last season Victoria emerged the champion State. . The Representative Team.

It has always been the ambition of the local swimming officials to bring the water polo trophy to Auckland. Teams have played at every Dominion championship meeting, but none of them has ever been successful in winning the title, although often runners-up. At times, however, an Auckland team has been exceedingly unlucky, notably at Christchurch in" 1925, when the northerners, matched against Canterbury in the final, had to play the greater part of the eecond half minus one man, who had been ordered out by the referee. Since 1925 Auckland has had only one good chance to win the championship, and that was in 1927, when the championships were decided here. An exceptionally strong team was fielded, but once again the C&nterburyians scored, and they fully deserved their win. Canterbury has a wonderful record, for, with the exception of 1915, when Hawke'e Bay captured the title, , the southern centre won every season from 1909 to 1928. It was only last season that the title was lost to Wellington. In past years the centre in selecting the local representative team has been handicapped by the question of expense, and has had to fill up the vacancies with supporters accompanying the swimmers. Now that the Water Polo Board is to have charge of its own finances this bugbear should be removed. Again, the best possible representative team has not been available because teams taking part in interclub matches were often picked at the last minute, with the result that players were never fully trained. In a good, hard game of water polo, physical fitness is essential, so that this season, with every club eager to win first championship laurels under the new state of affairs, there ought to be no place in any team for the unprepared player. There will be no scarcity of club teams. Seven clubs now exist in Auckland, and each should be able to provide at least one team, while it is possible that some will be able to place a team in any grade that may be formed. There j should be many new faces among the' players, as several well-known exponents of the different winter sports intend to play in order to keep fit during the summer. Present indications are that a particularly strong combination will be journeying to Greymouth to do battle for the New Zealand championship. Present Champions' Prospects. Mount Eden Club, which won the championship last year, will have to play better than ever to retain the honours. The team will be badly weakened by the defecton of its three best players. H. Moore, R. de Loree and D. Plank. Moore met with a serious accident a few months ago, and will have to stand down for one season at least. He was one of the best backs in the city, and a tower of strength to his side. He will be remembered for his willing play for the Auckland team at Wellington last season. De Loree, the centre-forward, is at present working in the Thames district, but expects to return to town shortly after Christmas, while Plank has be«n transferred into the country. The best at present available are G. Champion, G. Foy, and F. Witten.

Runners-up last season, Parnell, shall have much the same team. The Withers brothers, M. Honeyfield, W. Wilson, and L. Skinner, will be the mainstays of the club's senior team. No difficulty should be found in filling the vacancies, as the club has any number of players to draw upon. Those connected with the Waitemata Club are confident that it will regain the championship. On paper Waitemata certainly appears to be a powerful team. J. Enwright is the best player in Auckland, and he will be ably supported by D. P. Lindsay, E. Cunnold, L. Kenny, and L. Fairgray. Providing the Grammar Club does not disband, it should be able to field one of the strongest combinations. In Kronfeld is expected to do service for the club, and so with G. Bridson D; Hyauiason it can boast of a formidable forward line. The team will be completed by W. Batty, the Auckland Rugby rep., D. Hanna, in goal, and a couple of promoted juniors. Ponsonby is entering an evenlybalanced team, which should have a say jn the decision of the championship. The outstanding players of the western suburb's team are C. Jenkinson, W. Stevens, S. Brooking and H. Duane. The composition of the Deyonport side is, as yet, unknown, but it is expected to consist mostly of young players, whose capabilities should not be regarded lightly. The entry of a University team is almost assured, and as the students have plenty of talent from which to choose, they should have a- fairly eolk 1 representation. The ex-Waitemata centre forward will be taking his place in tih* r V*rafar eida.