Large Representation In N.Z. Rifle Team

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31345, 15 April 1967, Page 11

Large Representation In N.Z. Rifle Team

CANTERBURY will have four members, a higher number than ever before, in the 14-rnan New Zealand large-bore rifle team to compete overseas In July and August.

Of the four, only C. Thom (Sydenham) has represented New Zealand overseas before. He toured with national teams to Bisley in 1953 and 1960, and competed at the Commonwealth Games at Perth in 1962.

W. Oakley (Malvern) is

hardly less experienced, for he started his competitive career with the .303 at the same time as Thom, about 30 years ago, and has had several trips to Australia as an independent competitor. In addition he has won the Ballinger Belt (in 1949; the same year he Won the New South Wales King’s Prize) and that distinction has not been shared by Thom. Oakley was in excellent form at Trantham for this year’s championship. He finished third, after a shootoff with A Sowerby (Wellington), and won the Kenning Cup for the highest ag-

gregate over the last three national championships. And at Easter he won the Otago championship. He will be treading old ground for in 1960 he and his wife, who is also a prominent member of the Malvern dub, paid their way to national meetings at Bisley, Glasgow, and Ottawa. V. Curtis’s only overseas experience was in 1962 when he competed without distinction in the New South Wales championship. The left-handed Ballinger Belt winner of 1965 finished fourth at Trantham this year.

One of the team’s youngest members will be J. Cameron, of Ashburton, a brother of the 1960 All Black, D. H. Cameron. He has impressed with his consistency at the last three nationals where he has finished within the first 40. The tour’s focal point will be at Bisley, England, where the largest contest for shooters in the Commonwealth will be held in July. Members will have a week’s

practice at the Bisley range, starting from July 14, and the contest will conclude on July 31. On the return to New Zealand, the team will compete at the famous Connaught range in Ottawa from August 10 to 19. The previous biggest Canterbury representation in a national team was in 1962 when Thom and I. R. Ballinger were in the Perth Games team. Although the Bisley contest is held yearly. New Zealand competes in it every seven years because of lack of finance. New Zealand won the teams' shoot in 1953 and 1960.