Women As Harriers

Press, Volume XCVII, Issue 28542, 22 March 1958, Page 5

Women As Harriers

Proposals by the Canterbury Cross-Country Running Management Committee to arrange official; interprbvincial contests for women harriers with Auckland is a further indication that the committee', .la. accepting its new responsibility of controlling the woment’ssectfon of .the sport. Although Canterbury was the first province in New Zealand to have ar.women’s harrier club, more than 20 years ago, it was only lagt year that women’s clubs became affiliated with the Canterbury centre of the New Zealand Amateur Athletic Association.

Remit

Last year Canterbury championship races were held for the women and the Canterbury centre, which has led the way in encouraging distance running for women in New Zealand, sponsored a remit to the national association for a naitonal harrier championship

The remit was lost because Auckland and Canterbury were the only two provinces in which women’s competition was treated with much seriousness. Now the subject has been broached on a national level it is likely that other provinces will give the matter more consideration.

Provincial Races

For the last few years • contests between women harriers of Auckland arid Canterbury have taken place at a club level and w.ere regarded as unofficial representative fixtures. The best athletes were not always competitors. in these events. If ; Auckland agrees to the contests , becoming official, future Canterbury teams will be by the provincial selectors. This will do much to raise the'standard of competition. It is not intended that other athletes should be prevented from competing in the match, but they would not count for points in the representative fixture. Such, a race, between the two major provnces providing races for women’s harriers, should do much to hasten the introduction of a national title for them. To encourage such a step Canterbury will suggest that other provinces should be invited to enter teams or individual athletes.