Formidable squash team

Press, 2 August 1983, Page 34

Formidable squash team

The Canterbury men’s squash team named yesterday to contest the national inter-district event at Timaru next month looks capable of being the first to win the M. C. Day Cup. It is headed by Rod Hayes and Paul Viggers, comfortably the top performers on the domestic circuit this season and both in the New Zealand squad for the world championships in Auckland in October.

Hayes, aged 26, is now living in Auckland, but has opted to turn out for his old district again. He has been in outstanding form this season, winning six tournaments on the Adidas national circuit, including both the North and South Island titles.

While he has had to bow to Hayes in three tournament finals, Viggers, aged 22, has also been in excellent touch with his natural shotmaking abilities embellished by a much higher standard of fitness.

Originally, it seemed that Auckland, champion for the last seven years, would be virtually unbeatable in 1983, but its combination will now be rather less formidable. The world’s No. 7, Ross Norman, has been forced out by a parachuting accident in Britain, and another former New Zealand champion, Bruce Brownlee, has also had injury problems. Mr Lyn Sparks, the convenor of selectors and the team’s manager, said that

the men would have a good chance of taking the title.

The full Canterbury men’s team named by the three senior selectors (Messrs Sparks and Les Milne, and Mrs Merle Holland) is, in alphabetical order: Robbie Burnett, Rod Hayes, Craig Hibbert, John Oakley, Lyn Sparks, and Paul Viggers. Mark Crosbie made himself unavailable at a late stage.

The women’s team is nowhere near as strong, but it should win most of its games at No. 1 with Joanne Williams (nee Milne) in that position.

The teams is: Kate Carpinter, Merle Holland, Carolyn Oakley, Jenny Oakley, Susan Wasley, and Joanne Williams. Manager: Les Milne. Justine Marriott was unavailable.