Top sportsman dead

Press, 9 May 1978, Page 44

Top sportsman dead

The death in Christchurch on Saturday of Jim Turpin closed a remarkable passage in the history of sport in Canterbury and New Zealand. He was in his time a national bowling champion, a provincial snooker champion, a talented runner, and a gifted rugby player. It was on the rugby field that Mr Turpin gained a lasting place in the annals of the code in Canterbury, He broke his neck in a senior match in 1928 between

his Linwood club and Merivale and spent several years in hospital.

He was paralysed and doctors feared for his life. But he recovered and returned to the playing fields and national prominence, not in rugby but in bowls. Mr Turpin won the national pairs title in 1936 with Dick Haworth and the fours in the same year with Howarth, Charlie Elsom, and Charlie Shaw.

He later skipped the winning side in the Christ-

church Bowling Centre’s champion-of-champions pairs in 1938 and two years later took the fours title, too. Mr Turpin was a good snooker player as well. He was a member of the Tramways A-grade billiards team for 25 years and his prowess on the table won for him the 1934 Canterbury snooker title. He was the runner-up the following year. Mr Turpin represented Canterbury at both soccer, as a schoolboy player, and rugby. He is survived by his wife and five children.