ATHLETIC SPORTS GAMES AND PLAYERS

Press, Volume XCI, Issue 27641, 23 April 1955, Page 9

ATHLETIC SPORTS GAMES AND PLAYERS

[By

MILES]

All Doubts Settled Because he is regularly employed at Ashburton there has been some doubt whether Canterbury’s full-back. Kevin Stuart, would be under the control of the Canterbury or MidCanterbury Rugby Unions for his football this year. All doubts were set at rest, however, at a recent meeting of the Mid-Canterbury union. The moating, which Stuart attended, was held in committee and the following statement was issued: —

“As the result of a request from the senior selector as to whether K. Stuart would be available for selection in the Mid-Canterbury representative teqjn this season the matter was discussed and Mr Stuart was asked to attend and state his case. Owing to the exceptional circumstances governing his case the committee decided that it could not fairly restrict him to having to play under the Mid-Canterbury Rugby Union’s jurisdiction.” Stuart, whose parents live in Christchurch, is employed at Ashburton by a Christchurch stock firm. Although he lives at Ashburton for business reasons and his own convenience from Monday to Friday he returns to his home in Christchurch each Friday and remains until Monday. It was thought that a ruling as to his residential qualifications to play in Christchurch competitions might, have been sought from the New Zealand Rugby Union. As Mid-Canterbury’ has challenged for the Ranfurly Shield a full-back of Stuart’s calibre would have been an acquisition. In the circumstances the MidCanterbury Union’s decision is sportsmanlike. Opening of Rugby Season

Prospects for a season of keen, bright football were never brighter than they are for the opening of the Canterbury Rugby Union’s 1955 competitions today and while the showers of yesterday may have taken the sting out x>f some grounds the fields may still be a little too firm. Possession of the Ranfurly Shield does not necessarily mean better club football, although there is added incentive to gain a place in New Zealand’s champion provincial team. All club teams have had their gains and their losses and strength of the different combinations will be on a par with last year when Old Boys, Technical, Christchurch, and Marist showed Up in bright and interesting games. The main event at Lancaster Park today will be between Technical and University and chief interest here may centre in the form of the two star five-eighths, J. Waine (Technical) and S. G. Bremner (University). Last year’s winners, Old Boys, will meet New Brighton in the early game on the oval. Sydenham and Belfast and Linwood and Merivale should provide close games on the other grounds .at Lancaster Park. At Rugby Park Marist will play Albion and Christchurch and Sunnyside-Spreydon will meet at Sunnyside. Jottings

Because of an injury to a groin J. W. Kelly, All Black and Auckland fullback, will be unable to play for some weeks. Kelly suffered the injury when playing last year. For the first time for many years the Petone senior Rugby, team will take the field without a Dougan. The wellknown representative five-eighths, J. G. Dougan, captain of Jast year’s Jubilee Cup runners-up, who was considered unlucky not to receive at least a trial run for selection of the 1953-54 All Blacks, has been dropped from the 18 players selected to meet Wellington College Old Boys at Petone today. Unpopular Decision

Boos, jeers, and catcalls from a crowd of about 8000 broke out when the George Barnes-Italo Scortichini match at White City was declared a draw, writes Stan Baxter in the “Sydney Morning Herald.” Barnes should have been given - the decision because of the Italian’s consistent kidney punching. Writing in the same newspaper Jimmy Carruthers says: The referee, Art Mawson, should have disqualified Scortichini. Scortichini consistently smashed right-hand punches to Barnes’s left kidney. He was warned three times for this offence and on the third warning Mawson should have crowned Barnes. Unless Mawson speaks severely to future overseas welterweights before they fight here, Barnes could be severely his last against the Californian, Ramon Fuentes, Barnes also received some terrific kidney punches. Olympic Differences

The International Cycling Union has withdrawn its approval of a 250-metre cycling track for the 1956 Olympic G^P es - R tosists on the construction of a 333.3-metre track. A letter from the union secretary (Mr Rene Chesal) in Paris, said that permission was given for a 250-metre track, only because the union thought that it was not possible for any other velodrome to be built in .Melbourne. Since giving that permission the union had received P.rn°l that a 333.3-metre track was possible and that, in fact, the foundations had been laid for one. Team did Well

“While the team did not meet with great success it must be said fairly that individually most members performed well,” said the manager of the Canterbury athletic team (Mr A. McDonald) in his report to the Canterbury centre on the New Zealand championships. “C. Courtney (fourth) and R. Gaskell (fifth) in the 440 yards final did better than 50sec. M. Courtney was fourth in the 220yds final in 22.35ec with E. Stroud qualifying in tlie 880yds in Imin 56.1 sec, and W. Belcher in the 120yds hurdles, all returning best ever individual performances. Unfortunately in all teams that travel there are those who are unable to reproduce the form which won them selection. One case was P. R. May, but I would say here that in his capacity of captain alone, Phil was a worthy member of the team.” A Popular Game

Counting each side as having 15 players there are 4336 playing football under the control of the Canterbury Rugby Union according to a table supplied by the secretary, Mr A. C. Felton. Of the big number of clubs and schools represented in the list the Marist Club is easily the biggest contributor with 24 teams of 360 players. Others well up in the list are Christchurch, Linwood and SunnysideSpreydon with 16 teams each. Sydenham 14, Albion 12, and Merivale and New Brighton each with 11 teams are also good suppliers. There are 12 teams in the seniors, 11 in senior reserve, 20 in the junior grade, 21 in the under sst 101 b and 24 in the midgets of sst and under. All play a part in providing Ranfurly Shield and All Black teams in years to come. Freyberg Rosebowl

Seventy-two of New Zealand’s best amateur golfers will meet in the Freyberg Rosebowl interprovincial competition at Russley next month, and the three days of the tournament should provide some excellent competition and first-class golf. The winner for the last three years, Manawatu-Wanganui, meets Atfckland and Bay of Plenty on the first day, Otago and Hawke’s Bay on the second, and Gisborne-East Coast and Wellington on the final day. Canterbury’s programme consists of Waikato and Southland on the first day, Nelson-West Coast-Marlborough and Wellington on the second, Taranaki and Hawke’s Bay on the third. The tournament will open on Thursday, May 19, and end on Saturday, May 21. Chile Not to Compete While it thinks the idea of a South Pacific athletic championship an excellent one, rhe Chile Amateur Athletic Federation has advised the New Zealand Amateur Athletic Association that lack of funds would prevent Chile from taking part. for the year and already have offered to they take place.

John Reid at Oamani John Reid. New Zealander cricketer, is now settled to Oamaru, and if he gives rein to h!s enthusiasm for sport North Otago is going to be the richer. He says he will play cricket next season for an Oamaru club, not a Dunedin team. He expects to be stationed in Oamaru for at least three years and his work will take him as far afield as Central Otago. Engaged in coaching for the last three years, he is keen to continue this work among North Otago cricketers. Lectures will be included in his training programme. In addition he will coach groups of boys during the evenings. His sporting interests are not confined to cricket. It is his intention to take up squash and badminton and, possibly. Rugby refereeing, although he has not previously refereed. He intended to do so in Wellington this winter. Putting the Shot In this country there has been a tendency to rely on overseas publications for athletic instruction. Sam Lewis, physical director at Canterbury University College, has produced an .elaborate treatise on javelin throwing. He has now completed a less detailed work on putting the shot. A compact pocket edition, the booklet concentrates on basic principles which are sketch illustrated, and while designed primarily for beginners, it will also provide a valuable check for the more mature athlete. Mr Lewis now plans to produce booklets covering other events. Golf Scores “When are the pros going to quit kidding us?” asks Bill Carlson, golf editor of the “Minneapolis Star” in an article in “Golf Digest” on the “fabulous under-par rounds played week after week by the professionals on the American circuits.” According to Carlson, the scores of 60 and upwards by the professionals were ' achieved, in nine cases out of 10, on 1 “peanut golf courses.” on which there were practically no hazards, but wide fairways, burnt-out or trampled-out rough, and big greens. The same nine out of 10, he says, are drive-and-wedge courses, and the professionals had degenerated into a “clique of slug-and-flip artists.” Carlson says the professional tournaments should be played ( on better courses, but the association I was at the mercy of tournament spon- | sors who wanted low scores and picked out easy courses. Championship Shared

By defeating France 16-11 at Paris, » Wales shared the Rugby championship this season competed for between the-' i four home countries and France. A ' draw or a win would have stamped > France as the top Rugby country out of the five as the French team has

already had three straight wins. The • final points for the season were France and Wales 6, Scotland 4, England 3, ' and Ireland 1. All the teams played each other. France and Wales each had three wins and a loss; Scotland had two wins and two losses; England had one win, one draw and a loss; and Ireland had a draw and three losses. Umpires in Action Cricket umpires are probably at their best when they are, not being noticed, but in Christchurch, at least, they make one annual appearance which demands more than passing, recognition. This is when they play their annual match with the Lancaster Park Club’s president’s grade team—both sides being reinforced for the occasion, the club team with one or two junior players, the umpires with two delegates from the Canterbury Cricket Association—-F. P. Hill and F. B. Smith. The umpires, led by their secretary, scored 217 runs through skilful batting (W. A. Waugh 40. L. C. Johnston 30. Milne 29) although Smith was out first ball to W. Rouse. There was some suggestion that this impressive total was partly attributable to . the fact that the batting side provided the umpires, and the Lancaster Park . batsmen—and umpires—could reply only with 185, to which G. Dryden contributed 52; Waugh became the hero of the match with four wickets. . One player, reflecting over his many years’ association with the game, came to the conclusion that never, anywhere, had he seen such competent and consistent cheating as this mate!} provided. But apart from the intricacies offered by batsmen, bowlers, fieldsmen and umpires all being intent on taking the most positive possible part in proceedings, there was some good cricket. Some of the umpires, in the field, distinguished themselves in roles for which nature did not seem to intend them, and some first-class catches were made. The best of them was a leg-side catch by the umpires' wicket-keeper, H. Wilson; it was excellent by any standards, but a remark- - Able achievement for a man in his seventy-fourth year. 1 Australian Rules

“I’ve seen test cricket, a Cup final at Wembley, a baseball World Series in New York, Davis Cup, the Olympic Games, and the Melbourne Cup. For entertainment value Australian Rules football has them all licked to a frazzle,” writes Ben Kerville in the Melbourne “Sporting Globe.” More people follow our footy, in proportion to population, than any other game in the world. Further . . . more people l talk about the game day by day, week by week, and month after month, in and out of season, than about any other sport we know. There are several reasons for this. The chief one is that Australian Rules football particularly in Melbourne, is the cheapest of all entertainment. It represents value plus.” Interpreters More than 250 linguists speaking 40 languages and dialects have registered with the organising committee as int£E£ ret £K? for the Olympic Games in 1956. They speak all leading languages, including English, French, Spanish, German, Russian and Japanese. They also speak three Chinese dialects and a number of Arabic tongues. They will operate at the Olympic Village, where athletes and team officials win be accommodated, at the main stadium at Olympic venues. As many as 10 different interpreters # may be required to help arena officials in some of the big sports contests, but only the three official Olympic languages—English French and Spanish—will be used in official announcements.