Tennis captain rejects ‘C grade’ tag

Press, 16 February 1984, Page 32

Tennis captain rejects ‘C grade’ tag

Hugh Robinson has marked his appointment as Canterbury men’s tennis captain with a vigorous defence of the team he will lead in the Wilding Shield contest at Lower Hutt next month. He reacted strongly to a jibe, made by Mr Ray Hampton at a meeting of 'the management committee of the Canterbury Lawn Tennis Association, that the province would send only a C grade team to Lower Hutt. The remark was made in reference to the omission of three nationally ranked ers, Brett Hibbert, lel Mooney, and Peter Hampton, for failing to play three ranking matches.

Robinson said he felt “somewhat humiliated” by the tag, and held that the implied criticism was unjust and unfair. He was also disturbed that a report on the matter had occupied a prominent place on the back page of “The Press,” which, he said, would be read throughout the South Island. As a result, he said, the team would go away to the contest with a cloud over its head. The criticism could have a detrimental effect on performances, and he was particularly concerned about the younger players. Robinson said he felt justified in replying to Mr Hampton because he had achieved a 70 per cent to 80 per cent success rate in

matches for Canterbury between 1980 and 1982, playing at No. 2 and No. 3.

And, he added, he had made many sacrifices to play for Canterbury, but in the light of the present controversy he felt that more harmony existed in country tennis in North Canterbury. However, the management committee was at pains to assure Robinson that it strongly backed the Canterbury men’s team. The chairman, Mr Maurie Agar, said Mr Hampton’s remark did not reflect the feeling of the committee as a whole, and members subsequently passed a motion to that effect.