BOWLING ATTRACTS LEAGUE TOURISTS

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30886, 20 October 1965, Page 19

BOWLING ATTRACTS LEAGUE TOURISTS

[From BRUCE MONTGOMERIE, N.Z.P.A. Special Correspondent.]

PHOTOGRAPHY, 10-pin bowling and singing have been three of the New Zealand Rugby League team’s favourite off-field activities during its tour of Britain. One member of the team, a forward with no previous experience of photography, will have good reason to remember his first attempt at the hobby. He brought two rolls of colour films with 36 negatives each, and recorded 72 failures—he forgot to take the lens cap off when using the first roll and threaded the film incorrectly on the second occasion.

He is confident of success on his third attempt—he has asked a chemist to load the camera for him.

' Players had plenty of scope for photographs during the fire at the Ilkley Moor Hotel where they are staying. Players hurriedly dressed, grabbed their cameras and rushed outside to reel off hundreds of shots during what was a humorous

incident although quite a serious fire. The local fire brigade equalled the best performances of the “Keystone Cops" with some of its antics. On one occasion the firemen attempted to take a hose through a rotating door. Inevitably, it became stuck and players and firemen had to dismantle the door to free the hose and squeeze it through. Then one fireman, ordered to get a ladder, considered that the quickest way to gain access would be through the front door. It took some time to free the ladder.

Two Canterbury players have become respectively the keenest and the most promising 10-pin bowlers in the team. The scrum-half, R. S. J. Irvine, has become an avid fan of the sport and ;■ travels 17 miles on most ! afternoons to play. l! The brothers, P. M. and J. L. White, are keen bowlers and it appears that !; J. L. White is the most pro- !; mising player although he has not had as much practice ;; as Irvine. '!

The singing during the team’s excursions to and from matches has been of such high quality that songs have been recorded by the New Zealand Broadcasting Corporation’s representative, Mr R. Cody. The team sings mostly Maori songs, their favourites being “Pokarekare Ana,” “Haere Mai,’’ and “I am a Lonely Little Kiwi.” They are led by the full-back, J. E. Fagan, who has an exceptional singing voice