From Eketahuna To Queenstown The Votes Came In

Press, Volume CVII, Issue 31440, 5 August 1967, Page 19

From Eketahuna To Queenstown The Votes Came In

P. E. Skate, the entry form stated, and the writing was much clearer than some of those received during the contest.

Had the entry for Skate been in one of the back positions, the sports department with its mountain of index cards might have been perplexed. But it was the week for the front row forwards, and it was clear enough that Skate was, in fact, P. Eastgate. So are messages from father to son misunderstood. But there were other, similar problems during the nine weeks of the contest In all, there were about 30 coupons on which the entrant had failed to write his name. Nothing could be done about some of them, but occasionally, there was an address on the envelope, and the competitor could be tracked down. Just as difficult, particularly in the early stages of the competition, were the problems set by members of households in which husband and wife were both competitors. It was sbon discovered that women like to vary their initials, using their own sometimes, their husbands’ initials sometimes, and usually failing to record their marital status. Although members of the sports department all seemed to have sore thumbs by the middle of this week —an occupational hazard in opening thousands of envelopes the competition had its compensations. There was one competitor who nominated A. W. Roberts, better known as a cricketer, but a fine fullback: but Roberts ended his Rugby career some 30 years ago. Even stranger was the entrant who decided that A. E. G. Elsom was best suited to the lock position. It was

somewhat surprising, in view of that bold move, that R. H. Duff, Elsom’s great rival in voting until Young’s turn came—-was not chosen by someone to play at centre. There were other strange entries—W. J. Whineray as hooker, J. B. Smith, R. R. Elvidge and R. A. Jarden among the backs. The nomination of “Laidlaw" as hooker was also a surprise. There was no indication where the nominee was F. A. L. Laidlaw, the Lions hooker, or C. R. Laidlaw, the All Black half-back. Only once was a reader of “The Press” guilty of treating a Rugby matter light-heartedly. Among tho nominations for locks last week were Yale and Chaney. This competition, which sometimes seemed to the sports department to be an even more continuing story than Peyton Place, drew a total of 2012 entries. If the postal clerks ait "The Press” may not have regarded the business with particular favour they had to carry about 16,000 letters, weighing about 601 b it seems likely that the PostmasterGeneral should be a happy man. His department has profited, in postage, by something in excess at $5OO. Entries came from all over Christchurch, all over Canterbury, and points beyond those boundaries as distant at Central Otago and Eketahuna. One entry was posted in the Bay of Islands —presumably by a Christchurch man who had taken his coupon with him, to allow time for thought Another reader who had to leave for England just after the contest started left his team with his brother, who diligently posted the coupons in week by week.

In household output, the family of a former Canterbury half-back led the way; from this home, there were six entries every week. There was another family of four which did not miss a week, and several others of three. One entry which will be remembered came from a man who was very conscious of the time limit imposed each week. One of his entries was clearly post-marked two days after the last permissible date. But when the envelope was opened it was

discovered that his entry coupon bore a date stamp of the day before the final one allowed. The sports department wishes to thank all those who supported the competitin, even those whose writing sometimes caused headaches. The competition was designed to stimulate interest in Rugby during a period when, it seemed, there was rather less attractive fare available to the public than usual. Many readers have done more than send in coupons; they have written to express their interest in the contest and to say how they have enjoyed the discussions provoked by “Canterbury’s Best,” and the re-living of the great moments in the careers of outstanding players, past and present.