THE SPRINGBOKS.

Press, Volume LVII, Issue 17207, 26 July 1921, Page 5

THE SPRINGBOKS.

TEAM IN CHRISTCHURCH. A CIVIC RECEPTION. The City Council Chamber was crowded out yesterday, when a civic reception to the touring South African team was tendered by the Mayor, Dr. Thacker. Loading officials of the Canterbury Rugby Union were present, also people prominent in other branches of sport. The occasion was graced by the presence of a few ladies. The Mayor introduced to the citizens the fine band of comrades of ours from South Africa, the Springboks (a voice: Springbacks). He welcomed the team to our garden city. Many of the team, he said, had been brothers in arms with our own soldiers. (Hear, hear), and were representative of the great nation now being envolved in South Africa. He desired, through the team, to extend heartv thanks to the ladies of Cape Town and Durban, who had done so much for our soldiers en route to England. The team had been granted the freedom of the Tepid Bathß. (Loud a ifr. "'hacker: People who laugh, at that sort of thing are generally the great unwashed. . Continuing, the Mayor said ***,*%• pie of New Zealand were profound admirers of the late General Botha, also of General Smuts, who was a leading figure in Imperial affairs, and who might be the means of settling the great Irish question. He welcomed the team to the city. * . , Mr F. Wilding, who was ««™ with loud applause, said. that aUI blanches of athletic sport in Canterbury were in cordial relation one with another, and the aim of all was to extend the interests • of clean amateur sport through the Empire, and visit of the Springbok team was the greatest event in the history of sport, inNew Zealand. He congratulated the fcoutn Africans on their great prowess and on their great sportsmanship. Interest in the visit of the team was abounded, and all sorts of people were clamouring for seats to witness the match on Saturday, and see theSoutb Africans make mincc-meat of the Canterbury lambs. (Laughter.) He hoped our men would win, but he was not too sanguine, ihe South Africans had the virile characteristics of the old Dutch settlers, and all that was best from their French and English forebears. It was no wonder therefore that South Africa had produced a race of giants represented by such men as the Mayor had mentioned, and by the late Cecil Rhodes. The men of South Africa, whatever their difference had been, had played the greatest of games and with other parts ot the Empire had rallied to the common cause. With such a feebng existing, he trusted that future conflict would be Knight, speaking on behalf of the R.S.A., said that recently he had received a wondend welcome in South Africa during his visit to t&at country on the occasion of the conterenceof ex-soldiers' associations. Ihe "diggers" would never forget the hospitality showered on them by the people of Cape Town and Durban. He was sure the South African team would make a great reputation for themselves in New Zealand. He had seen them play and knew they'played as clean a game as could be wished for anywhere. ' „ , ~,. Mr S. F. Wilson, president or the. Canterbury Rugby Union, welcomed the team on behalf of the footballers o'f' Canterbury. - No band of athletes was more welcome in: New Zealand than Rugby footballers. The present team was. the best that Bad ever visited the Dominion, and/whatever the result was, a splendid game should be witnessed on Saturday. He was satisfied that' Canterbury would beat Wellington (laughter), but wa-3 not so sanguine as to the result of the match on Saturday. (Laughter.) . " ■ Mr T. P. Pienaar, the captain of the South African team, who was received with cheers, said the team were much impressed by the warmth of welcome I extended to them in New Zealand. He hoped that a party of Christchurch ladies would assist the team to hoist their colours on Saturday. (Laughter, and cries of "We'll be there!" from some of the ladies.) ■\ Continuing, Mr Pienaar said there was a bond between the colonies which did not exist between the colonies and the Mother Country. All colonials felt they were pioneers, and that their forefathers . went into the wilderness to carve out homes for themselves. That was what drew them all together. There was a similarity between the two countries. New Zealand and South Africa, which might lead to treaties in the near future. New Zealand and Australia marked the bound of civilisation in the Southern Hemisphere. It was up to them all to make good, and, therefore, when South Africans came into contact with New Zealanders, they felt they could come to a common understanding, which was essential to the welfare of both countries. The team felt that they were at home with the New Zealanders. There was a common spirit of camaraderie, and there was no stiffness of false friendship in it. Those were no empty words. The Mayor: "What we would call legpulling. . ' ' ■ Mr Pienaar: If the chairman wishes to regard it as leg-pulling, I am sorry. The Mayor: No, no. (Laughter.) Mr Pienaar said that as far as the team were concerned there were no easy matches in this country. "You I give us a'run'for our money every j time," he said, "and it seems that the I harder the. going the more you enjoy it. So do we.. We like a battle royal, and the victory to go to the stronger.'' The Springboks were honoured that day in hearing what was said by Mr [ Wilding. The memory of his son was held in great veneration in South Africa, and the people there regarded the late Anthony Wilding-as one of the best_ sportsmen that ever walked a playing field, and the fact that he was a> colonial made that bond all the stronger. By request of Mr Pienaar, .those- present then rose and stood in silence for a moment as a tribute to the memory of Anthony "Wilding.Mr G. H. Bennett, the manager of the team, expressed his appreciation of the splendid welcome accorded the team. The offers of hospitality bad been so numerous in New Zealand, that he found great difficulty in keeping the team in order. (Laughter.) "I find you have in this city," continued Mr Bennett, "the finest picture Ealaces in the world (laughter), the nest baths in the world (laughter), and to-morrow we are to go the finest' drive in the , world (laughter); but I think you have the worst Town Hall in the world (prolonged laughter.) He put in a ,plea for restraint in the j matter of hospitality. "We want to Elay football and give you of our best," e said. "IV takes a long time to get absolutely fit, and a lot of hard work to keep absolutely fit. It is yery hard to refuse all offers of hospitality, but if the boys, go out to your homes or elsewhere, see that they get back early. (Laughter.) We can only look forward to the time when you send a team to South Africa, and we shall then try to repay you for, everything you have done for us out here." (Loud applause.) - The Mayor: The ladies have asked me to call on the best-looking man hi the team to speak and say something about the girls of this country. (Prolonged laughter.) Some little delay was occasioned ib discovering the member of the *team who answered this description, a no j finally one dark youth was prevailed upon to accept the honour. He explained that ne was suffering from * knock in the eye, which did not W

any means add to his personal appearance. He said nothing about the girls, hut .thanked the Mayor for his kind reception.

At the call of the Mayor, the assemblage greeted the visitors with musical honours, "For They are Jolly Good Fellows," and cheers. - The Springboks then rose and/gave their war-cry and song in Dutch, a demonstration which was received with thunderous applause. THE ATTENDANCE AT THE WELLINGTON' MATCH. Cpkess association teubgram.) WELLINGTON, July 25. Everyone who knows Athletic Paik ground agrees that the estimates of the attendance I at Saturday's mate?, between the Springboks and "Wellington were exaggerated. It would be impossible to get 80,000 people into tha ground l . Taking a line by the 1904 match, when, the place seemed fully as crowded as it was on Saturday, and allowing fox the extra terraces, it is improbable that there were even 25,000 present on Saturday. The official count already, turns out to be much overrated, one turnstile having recorded 8009 too many. The money taken ;al3o goes to show "that the crowd was greatly over-esti-mated,, for £2300 does not account for any-, thing like <he official return of the attendance.' ■ ' _ I {special to "the press.") . . WELLINGTON, July 25. The financing of the South African tour will now be assured, especially as the success of the visitors against Wellington will attract good attendances at the test matches. The visitors were surprised and delighted' with the generous applause that they received from the thoroughly sporting and impartial Wellington crowd. It was all the more noteworthy in view of the fact that the local team were tho losers. MATCH AGAINST CANTEEBUET. BOX PLAN OPENS TO-MORROW. The long anticipated match between the Springboks and Canterbury will be played at Lancaster Bark on Saturday -next. From all appearances the local team will have to put forth their best efforts to avoid defeat. Judging by tho extraordinary interest that is being taken in the match, there will be a huge attendance at the Park, and arrangements are being made to accommodate a record crowd. The gates will be open eariy on Saturday morning, and thero will be a certain raiser prior to the big game. The box plan for reserved seats will be open at the Canterbury Sports Depot, at 8.80 to-morrow morning, and patrons are advised to book early to avoid 1 disappointment.