POLICE WRESTLER

Dominion, Volume 31, Issue 96, 18 January 1938, Page 11

POLICE WRESTLER

New Zealand Selection For Empire Games MANY TITLES WON Constable 11. R. Godfrey, of the Hawera Police Force, will leave Wellington on Thursday as New Zealand’s middleweight wrestling representative at the Empire Games to De held at Sydney. Holder of the Dominion amateur middleweight title, Constable Godfrey, who was stationed in Wellington up to the beginning of December, has a lengthy list of championships to his credit. The wrestling team will meet at Wellington to-morrow, and after several official functions will leave by the Wauganella on the following day for Sydney. An official farewell will be tendered at Parliament House ou the morning of the departure. Athletics occupied Constable- Godfrey’s attention before wrestling, and in 1926 he represented Manawatu in the country club athletic championships at Palmerston North, running second to R. A. Rose in the mile and threetniles races. He joined the Wellington Fire Brigade in July of that year, and through serving with the brigade was introduced to wrestling. First Success in 1930. Professional wrestlers used to train at the brigade’s gymnasium and this aroused the interest of several members of the force. In 1930 he had his first success, winning the light-heavyweight division in the Wellington amateur wrestling championships and also a medal presented by th e police. He repeated his victory the following year and also was runner-up in his weight in the New Zealand championships, losing on points to Mouat, a South Island wrestler. In 1932 lie won at Wellington but did not compete at tlie Domioion contests. Entering the heavyweight class in the succeeding years, when be joined the police force, Constable Godfrey took the Wellington and Dominion titles at Wellington, in spite of the fact that he turned the scales at list. 61b. and had to face opponents weighing 14st. 71b.

An off season was experienced in 1934, but in 1935 he regained the Wellington light-heavyweight title, taking it again the following year, when he won the New Zealand championship. Last year the title light-heavyweight was changed to middleweight to conform with Olympic standards and provincial contests also were inaugurated. Constable Godfrey won the Wellington provincial title and also the New Zealand title. The visit of a team of Australian amateurs last year did much for amateur wrestling in this country, and although Constable Godfrey had retired he was asked to contest matches with the visitors. He succeeded in defeating R. Vickers, who held several State middleweight championships. After that the lure of the mat proved too strong for him and he has continued willi the sport.