HOCKEY.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIII, Issue 163, 12 July 1932, Page 13

HOCKEY.

COUNTRY WEEK TOURNEY.

OPENING GAMES AT REMUERA

RE-DRAW FOR PROVINCIAL CUP

Six men's and eleven ladies' teams assembled at the Remuera hockey grounds yesterday for the opening of the annual Country Week tourney, under the auspices of the Auckland Hockey Association. The men are competing for the White Horse Cup, held by Whangarei, while the ladies' trophy ie the Provincial Cup, the present holders of which is the Auckland A eleven.

Owing to the withdrawal of both teams from Thames, and one from Franklin, the draw for the Provincial Cup had to be recast, and this competition reduced to two sections instead of three. Miss A. Twiname, the tourney secretary, handled the situation well, and soon had the ■revised fixture list ready for the weeks games in both sections. Results of the first round yesterday were:— WHITE HORSE CUP. Whangarei 4 (Bylea 3, P. Muiiro 1), beat Piako 1 (Cottlngham) ; Waipa 2 (Gibson. Spiers), beat Thanies-Hauraki 0: Rodney 5 (!'. Edwards 3, Hood, Grimmer), beat Whakatane 2 (Learning, Bracken). PROVINCIAL CUP. Section A. —Auckland A 5 (Misses Franpin 2, Stevens, Waters, White), beat Whangarei A ?, (Mrs. Carnac, Misses Sterling, Tibltts) ; Kerepcehi f. (Misses A. Candy l>, N. Fisher, E. Candy, M. Shllter), beat Rodney 2 (Miss B. Smith); Pacroa 0 (Misses V. Brown 2, B. Murdoch 2, V. Shand 2), beat Northern Walroa 2 (Misses G. Treinaine, 11. Ford). Section B. —Auckland Collegiate 0 (Misses J. Allan 0, P. Munro 2, N. Maxwell, M. Tilhey), beat Auckland B 1 (Miss M. Waddell) : Piako 1 (Miss Birtteson), beat Whangarei B 0. MATCHES POSTPONED. DAVIS CUP FINISH DELAYED. The heavy rain on Saturday morning was responsible for the postponement of all matches, and cau.;ed much disappointment in hockey circles. It -was not only the day scheduled for the finish of the Davis Cup competition, but also the last occasion on which the players selected to accompany the New Zealand team to Australia would be in action, and -without these players some calculations may be upset when the final ecene eventuates. Being the eve of Country Week, it made final arrangements more difficult for the' officiab of both associations, while the selectors lost an opportunity in connection with the rebuilding of the representative teams. However, what the town players los't was the country teams' gain, as the grounds had a better chance to recover for the tournament games, which commenced yesterday. The increase in the number of teams in West Australia during recent years is almost as remarkable ae the growth of the game in Victoria. Until 1929 there was only one grade, and the association comprised nine teams. To-day the association boasts of 23 teams, divided into three grades. The South Australia Hockey Association is making every effort to get the strongest teams to Sydney for the tournament, and are raising funds for that purpose. The positions of the teams in the Davis Cup competition are:— Goals Cll. P. W. L. D. P. A. Pts. Romcrville .... f> 9 — — 34 S IS St. Luke's n <; r. —■ 20 11 32 North Shore ... R 4 ."! 1 21! 17 0 University .... S 4 ,T 1 20 17 n Wpslpy 0—• 7 2 10 ,'[."l 2 Mount Eden ...018— 8 30 •> NEW ZEALAND TEAM. FOR AUSTRALIAN TOUR. The New Zealand hockey team to tour Australia leaves Wellington by the R.M.B. Maunganui on Friday next, the Auckland and Waikato contingents going south on Thursday. In letters received from Sydney it is evident that the tour is being eagerly awaited, and the team will receive a right royal welcome.

The New Zealanders have a big task ahead of them, in a strenuous six weeks' tour and maintaining the records established by their predecessors. In the 16 matches arranged the New Zealanders will be called upon to play matches on consecutive days, and it is seldom that they will get more than a two days' spell, yet they are prepared to play a couple of matches in one day if absolutely necessary, truly an ambitious undertaking with limited resources for certain positions. In the itinerary a match hae been arranged for Sunday, August 7, at Goulburn, but the New Zealand Association has requested to hare it cancelled or an alteration made in the date.

In choosing the team the New Zealand selectors, Messrs. L. C. Kent, S. G. Holland and R. Thompson, had an unenviable task to perform, as a number of leading players in the Dominion were unfortunately not available, and at one time it eeemed possible that the trip would be cancelled. When it came to the final choice the selectors gathered together no less than fourteen players of shield fame, ivhile the remaining two are quite capable of taking their place in provincial representative teams. The majority of the players arc quite equal to the positions for which they have been selected. The forward line is comprised chiefly of individuals of the ■brilliant type, so it will be necessary to obtain a certain amount of cohesion and combination to ensure succeee, especially during such a heavy tour.

The New Zealanders play matches in Queensland. New South Wales and Victoria, but the principal attraction will be the great Australian carnival commencing on August 6 and winding up with the Test between Australia and New Zealand on Saturday, August 13, when the tourists will defend the Manning Cup, which they have held since the trophy came into existence.

On the occasion of their departure the Auckland members of the New Zealand team will ibe the guests at the annual hall in the Peter Pan Cabaret to-morrow night, to which the country hockey players are also invited.

The following is the complete itinerary, including the Sunday match, .arranged for the tour of the New Zealanders: —July 20, North Coast, ats Lismore; July 23, Queensland, at Brisbane; July 25, Ipswich, at Ipswich; July 27, Toowoomba. at Toowooinoa: July 28. Warwick, at Warwick; July 30, TenterfieH, at Tenterfiolcl; August I, Metropolitan, at Sydney; August 3, Central Western, at Orange; August e, Federal Capital, at Canberra; August 7. Central Southern, at Goulburn; August 10, South Australia, at Sydney; August 11, West Australia, at Sydney; August 13, Australia, at Sydney; August 16, Junee or Crookwcll. at Junec, or Crookwcll; August 20. Victoria, at Melbourne; August 24. N.S.W., .at Sydney; August 2G, leave for home. AUCKLANDER DTtOPR OUT. (By Telegraph, —Press Association.) CHRISTCHURCH, this day. At a meeting of the committee of the New Zealand Hockey Association the association advised that H. Jones, a member of the New Zealand team to tour Australia had met with an accident and was unable to make the trip. The selection of a player to fill the vacancy was left to the selectors. Poverty Bay, Otago and Bush Union Associations wrote voicing disapproval of the method of selection of the Now Zealand -team. Mesers. S. G. Holland and the secretary were deputed to franic a reply. The Poverty Bay Association wrote challenging for the new Zealand Challenge Shield, with a request that the fee provided by them last year be accepted for this season's challenge. The matter wae referred to a sub-committee.

THREE ENTHUSIASTS. Taking part in the White Horse Cup hockey tournament as members of the Waipa eleven are Bert Spiers, Melville and Hinton. After the finish of their game to-day they leave for Te Awamutu, which they do not reach until midnight. They make an early start to-morrow to play in the Norden Cup fixture against Taranaki at Stratford on Thursday. Their only regret k that they cannot see how they gei back to Remuera in time for the final of the Country Week.