WITH THE RIFLE

Evening Post, Volume CII, Issue 39, 15 August 1921, Page 8

WITH THE RIFLE

CHAMPIONSHIP MEETING AT TRENTHAM

AUSTRALAN TEAM TO COMPETE.

In responding to the toast of the Dominion Eifle Association at the Wellingon Suburbs Defence Eifle Club's annual dinner and presentation of prizes on Saturday evening,' Colonel E. J. Collins, C.M.G., chairman of ihe Executive Council of the.association, said that the coming rifle champion meeting at Trentham in March next should, in view o< the promised visit of the Australian rifle team, be specially interesting. The Australians were to have come to the last meeting, but owing to the uncertainty of steamboat connection the visit had to be abandoned. The position this year appeared to be more favourable; they might look forward to the visit of a strong contingent of rifle shots from Australia; therefore it was essential that the association should provide a pro-' gramme worthy of their visit. A firstclass programme had been prepared, and a large entry was anticipated. The executive had decided to, increase the total prize money to £2175, while the individual prizes in the championship series had been added to. In this series there were now eight matches of £122 each, divided into 90 prizes, made up as follows: £10, £8, £7, £6, £5, and others ranging down to £1. The highest prize heretofore had been £5. BEST OF FIFTY. " The King's Prize Match, .1000 yards, in which the highest fifty in the championship series' compete, was fixed at £200, the first prize being £50, which accompanies the Champion Belt and gold medal. The other prizes were £25-, £20, £15, eight of £5, and thirty-eight of smaller sums. *

In connection with this series there were two aggregate prize lists of £100 each, one for short range shooting, and the other for long range. The first prize in each event was £10; then followed £8, £6, £5, £4, and forty-eight others, down to £1- Additional' money prizes had been set aside for competitors who had never won a prize N of over £1 at any previous meeting, while returned soldiers and Senior Cadets had been catered for. ' ."','■.■(.' . As a compliment to '■ the visitors, two additional matches had been included in the programme of £150 each—seventy prizes in each match—tho first prize in . each case being £20, followed by one each of £15, £10, £8, £5, and others of lesser amount. The total amount allotted to the championship series was £1676, with many A'aluable cups ajidi medals. SERVICE* MATCHES. , The service matches had been retained, and brought into line with the principle governing military rifle competitions, bo as to conform with strict military requirements. , The amount allocated for this purpose was £356.' ; REPRESENTATIVE MATCHES. Provision had been made for a special, match—Australia v. New Zealand, eight men a side—and' the North Island v. South Island Match had been restored to the programme. ... ,

The Gordon Highlanders' trophy was to be shot for at this meeting. This was a challenge trophy, presented to,the military forces of, Australia and New Zealand by the Gordon Highlanders, in commemoration of their -services together in the 'Boer War, 1899-1902—t0 Be shot for annually by teams of eight men representative of each State>and of New Zealand. 'It was New Zealand's turn next year to nave the'match fired for at its annual meeting, and this match' should induce the Australian State associations to send representative teams to compete for the trophy, which, at present, is held by West Australia. New Zealand had won the trophy twice. It was decided at the last Commonwealth Council of Rifle Associations of Australia that the representation of States in the Australian team (in addition to the captain) should be: New South' Wales 3, Victoria 3, Queensland 2, South, Australia 2, West Australia 1, Tasmania 1. Other competitors /were encouraged to attend the meeting at their own expense. Colonel Collins said he was satisfied' that it was the best programme yet issued by the D.R.A., which, 'since its inception, had been a power of immense value in encouraging a ' love for rifle shootjng. and teaching the use of the rifle, "as had always been the aim of the association.