SIDELINES

Press, 23 February 1980, Page 20

SIDELINES

A NUMBER of the province’s leading golfers will lead their clubs in the Canterbury regional final of the Peter Stuyvesant national clubs’ team championship at Waimairi Beach tomorrow. Teams consisting of the club’s senior, intermediate and junior champions, will take part in the 36-hole stableford net competition in which handicaps do not count. Fred Poskitt will lead Waimairi Beach in defence of its regional title and other prominent amateurs include Gary Maw (Waitikiri), Neville Griffiths (Russley). Derick Palmer (Amberley), John Williamson (Christchurch), Mark Street (Harewood), Nick Mclvor (Coringa), Roy Newburn (Templeton), lan Ross (Waimakariri Gorge) and John .Allin (Rangiora). A CONSCIENTIOUS security officer was determined that the centre court at Wilding Park was not going to be dampened before the New Zealand tennis team had polished off Korea in the Davis Cup tie earlier this month. He telephoned the grounds controller, Mr Sam Clarke, at one o’clock on the Saturday morning to report that it was “getting darker” and suggest that the covers should be laid. Mr Clarke was able to assure the officer that he had it on the best meteorological authority that “it

aint goin’ to rain no more." A PERIPATETIC Canterbury tennis player. Brett Hibbert, is off on his travels again today. This time he is bound for Germany; he will be the relieving coach at a Karlsruhe club while Tony Parun is back in New Zealand on business. Then he will cross the Atlantic to chase ATP pointe on southern circuits in the United States. In the last few weeks Hibbert has been runner-up for the Auckland, Canterbury .-nd New Zealand hardcourt singles titles.

MERV ROBINSON (Barrington) was mentioned in this column last Saturday for his remarkable record in getting to the latter rounds of Christchurch centre bowls tournaments. The next day he finished second, for the second successive year, in the chamnion-of-champions singles. Robinson now has something like a dozen minor placings, and just one title, in the last 10 years. He is undeterred, however. “I will keep trying and, perhaps, my luck will change,” he said at last Sunday’s presentations. THE SHIRLEY senior rugby team will be brightening up its image this year. The club has been given permission to change, on a season’s trial, from white to light blue shorts. The experiment will involve only the senior team. Shirley is the third Christchurch club to move away from the traditional white or black shorts. Belfast switched to gold three years ago and more recently Hornby changed to red.