SPORTSMAN OF THE WEEK

Press, Volume LXXXVIII, Issue 26745, 31 May 1952, Page 4

SPORTSMAN OF THE WEEK

RALPH GRACIE A past-president and a life-toember of the Canterbury Hockey Umpires' Association and a representative for Nelson on the New Zealand Association for 30 years. Ralph Grade is one of the stalwarts ot the fast, open game of hockey, and has followed the true sporting spirit of putting back into the grme something that he has had out of playing it. His record in hockey administration is something of which any man with the good of a game at heart might well feel proud. Hockey is not New Zealand's national game, out with more than 10,000 young New Zealanders playing It it takes its place amongst popular forms of sport. Ralph Gracie was born at Waiuku, Auckland, in 1902. He first became interested in a game in which he has never lost Interest. A term of 50 years with an undiminished love for a game is a long span, and is a lesson to many who have finished with a game when their playing days are over. From 1902 to 1010 he was a resident of Geraldine where the game quickly became popular, and the Geraldine Club has the distinction of being the first club team to play against overseas representatives. This happened when the Australian team toured New Zealand in 1922. Ralph Grade’s next shift was to Wellington, where for seven years he played for the mid-week representatives when a member of the Pakeha Club, and in the Saturday competitions gained a place in the Universal Ramblers Club team in which he played as outside left.

In 1921 his home wa ß at Nelson, where he earned distinction by being selector for the shield team and also played his part ag umpire. With his service as umpire in Wellington In 1918-19 until 1949, when he retired from active participation in the sport, he put in 30 years as an umpire which, like that of a football referee, is the least appreciated part on the field of play. In 1921 he came to Christchurch and was elected to the management committee ot the New Zealand Hockey Association, and ffwn 1822 to 1950 he has not missed 10 meetings of the committee. Grade has umpired games for every major association in New Zealand in Challenge Shield matches from Auckland to Invercargill, and was one of the controllers in Australia and New Zealand representative fixtures In 1925 and 1929, and with Prince Manavadar’s Indian hockey team which toured in 1939. In 1937 the New Zealand Hockey Association entrusted him with the position of manager of the New Zealand team which toured Australia and played 22 matches in 44 days, a tribute to the physical fitness of the members as it was to the handling of a manager who knew his hockey and its players. On that tour New Zealand won the Test, the last in which New Zealand has been successful against Australia. With L. H. Norton (Auckland) and W A. Scott (Dunedin) he Is a member of the Interpretation of Rules Board of the N.Z.H.U.A. In 1937 h« was elected president of the N.Z.H.U.A.

Ralph Gracie thinks that the visits of overseas teams have definitely improved the standard of play and its growing popularity is shoßn in the big Increase !n the number of young men playing grade hockey in New Zealand. The standard of umpiring has also improved beyond all knowledge. The friendliest of relations existed between hockey and Rugby. Rugby followers did not consider the game a serious rival in popularity, and they recognised that many young men who were not physically cut out for the more robust game of Rugby recognise in hockey a fast game of science In which 100 per cent, physical fltress was required. "Speed, stick-work, and combination are the main requirements for good hockey, and you've got to be fit to stand two 35-mlnute spells in a fast, open game," Gracie said. Combination, which demanded a knowledge of the other fellow's style of play, could raise a team of mediocre players Into the top flight. His advice to young players would be to get thoroughly fit. to practise continually with stick and ball, and work into a team and not as individuals.

An official position in athletics for many years has helped to fill in some of his leisure hours, and he is one of the past presidents of the Canterbury Amateur Ath’etic Club. Ralph Graei”, while ati'l as interested as ever in the hockey game with which he has been associated for 50 years, finds a welcome relaxation in a not too se-ious game of bowls on summer Saturday afternoons.