Overseas tour for S.I. shooters

Press, 9 May 1981, Page 22

Overseas tour for S.I. shooters

DAVID LEGCAT

A strong South Island fullbore shooting team will leave Christchurch tomorrow for a two-week trip to Australia, with the prime objective being a win in the teams’ event at the New South Wales championships. Two prominent shooters, Sandy Marshall, a New Zea-

land representative, and Jim Blay, the 1980 national champion, were unavailable for' the trip, but the tour captain, the outstanding Malvern marksman, Geoff Smith, is confident his team can make a good showing. “Man for man, they’re probably better,” he said. “But the teams’ event is our main objective, and it will be difficult. But given the breaks we can do it.” The team will have a Kractice day in Sydney on londay and will compete in the McArthur Onslow series next Tuesday and Wednes- • day. Competition will be over 300, 500 and 600 yards on Tuesday and 700 metres, 700 yards, 800 yards the following day. Thursday will be taken up with a teams’ shoot against New South Wales, over 600 yards and 700 metres.

Thus, with three days solid preparation behind it, the South Island will take part in the New South Wales Queens series on the Anzac range, at Maroubra. Competition will be over three distances on the Friday and Saturday and over 600 and 800 yards on the Sunday. The team will then travel to Brisbane and on Friday, May 22, will take part in a

shoot against Queensland at the Belmont range, before returning to Christchurch the following day. The South Island shooters will compete in the individual events at the New South Wales championships, but its best hope of success, as predicted by Smith, should lie in the teams’ event. This will be the first time a South Island squad has travelled to Australia for competition. In the past, the sport’s main strength has been in the North Island, but increased tough competition must benefit the southern marksmen. A strong performance in the next fortnight should ensure that the South Island’s first trip to Australia will not be its last. The full team is: Geoff Smith (captain), Lindsay Smith, Ben Hoban (Malvern),

Jack Bishop, John Cameron. Alastair Cameron, Morrie Lattimore (Ashburton), Enroll Stacey, Graham Webb (Blenheim), Morrie Callaghan (Westport), John Forrest (Invercargill), Bill McCook, Roy Taylor (Christchurch), Kevin Groves (Gore), Venn Neal (Marlborough). The adjutant for the squad is Mr Kieran Kerr of Christchurch.