SIDELINES

Press, 6 September 1980, Page 20

SIDELINES

MRS CAROL • BUTLER . (Matamata) - was ' the only umpire yat the national netball tournament in Christ'diurch to he awarded the New Zealand umpires’ badge for a consistently high standard throughout the week. It was the first;such award for five years. THE KIWIS will assist in fostering rugby league tn London during their tour to Britain and France. The match between New Zealand and the British under-24 side has been transferred from Hull to the Fulham •Soccer Club’s ground at Craven Cottage in west London. Fulham has become the first London club to enter rugby league for quite a few years and has spent a considerable amount of money acquiring players for its debut in its new code. The Kiwi tour will now open twith an additional game, against Blackpool Borough on September 30. Blackpool is the only non-first division club that the Kiwis will encounter. FROM RICHES to rags was how Stephen Street and John Williamson felt after encounters with their two Mid-South Canterbury players in the annual golf fixture between Canterbury and the combined’ team at Ashburton last Sunday. The previous day, Street and Williamson had taken the first two places in the North Canterbury stroke championship against a top. field. . But their Mid-South Canterbury opponents gave them little cause for continued elation the next day. Street and Williamson were two of the four Canterbury players who were beaten twice by their southern rivals. CHRIS CLOSE, the outstanding young centre in the Australian rugb league team which toured this country in June, had a profitable night in his home city of 'Brisbane when Queensland beat New South Wales in the recent State of Origin match. The sponsorship money provided by Tooth and Co. gave each Queenslander a winning bonus of $l-240. Close was "man of the match” (worth another $1000), and also won a $lOOO stereo • and an award worth $l50 —a total of $3390 for his part .in'Queensland’s 20-10 success. ‘ ’ FOR MANY YEARS the names of Edna and Helen Yates have been familiar to followers of sport in Canterbury. They are identical twins, and they were closely involved, particularly, in women’s basketball beore it became netball. Edna Yates held just about every office basketball had to offer. They were also prominent in hockey, and are both now enthusiastic members of ths Linwpod.- Bowling' Club. Three years ago they took up golf, playing at Coringa. It was, they said, a game they did not seem able to conquer. But this week, the twins achieved the distant goal of hundreds of C graders. -'They both earned their handicaps. .• A‘ FORMER first grade rugby league forward and now journalist, Peter Peters, has rated the New. Zealander, Kurt Sorensen. ,as the top in the tough Sydney competition. He placed Sorensen ahead of the: Kangaroos, .Rod Reddy. Les Boyd and Graeme Wynn, 'describing Sorensen as "a human rhinoceros who does more damage when carrying the ball than any other player-in.,the game. At 23, he has the size, speed and : football 'know-how*? to become one of the truly great 'forwards. Can crack any defence with his powerhouse running and possesses amazing pace for such a. bulky .man. Uses his tree-trunk’Megs to advantage and is almost impossible to stop close to the line. Defence is first’rate and is a good ball-and-all tackler.” Now we know what the Kiwis will miss.in Britain.