EMPIRE GAMES

Evening Post, Volume CCXV, Issue 13, 17 January 1938, Page 11

EMPIRE GAMES

NEW ZEALAND'S TEAM

SOME MUCH TRAVELLED

Although much is made of New Zealand's isolation from the world centres of important sports gatherings, it is an interesting fact that of more recent years the number of New Zealanders who have had the opportunity of competing overseas in various branches of sport is probably greater than in any period before in this country's sporting history.- New Zealand's team for the British Empire Games at Sydney next month is the largest selected to represent the Dominion overseas, and, excluding the bowlers, who are a separate party, there are in this team not less than 16 who have competed

overseas previously. The "daddy" of them all is S. A. Lay (Taranaki), the well-known javelin thrower. Lay won the Australian and New Zealand title in this event in Australia in 1926. He represented New Zealand at the Olympic Games at Amsterdam in 1928 and in 1930 at the British Empire Games in Canada, where he won the javelin throwing and established a Canadian record. Lay is still New Zealand's best with the javelin, and is expected to do well hi Sydney. Several of the oarsmen have been away before. F. H. Thompson (Canterbury) represented New Zealand at the British Empire Games in Canada in 1930, and at the Olympic Games at Los Angeles.in 1932, and is a member of the eight-oar crew for Sydney. Another member of the eight, C. A. Styles (Canterbury), was a member of the eight-oar crew at the 1932 Olympic Games at Los Angeles. Two others, R. Gould and A. K. G. Jackson, both of Wanganui, were members of the Union (Wanganui) Boat Club's eightoar crew which competed at the Melbourne Centenary Games, 1934-35, and R. Smith (Auckland), New Zealand's representative in the single sculls at the British Empire Games, was a competitor in the single sculls at the Melbourne Centenary Games. The rowing coach for Sydney, Mr. H. Ayres (Canterbury), has also been overseas before. He was the coach of the' New Zealand oarsmen at the Empire Games in Canada in 1930.

C. H. Matthews (Canterbury), one of the athletes, represented New Zealand at the Centenary Games at Melbourne and in 1936 at the Olympic Games at Berlin. P. F. Sharpley (Hawke's Bay) competed at the Melbourne Centenary Games, and V. P. Boot (Canterbury), half-miler, went to the Olympic Games at Berlin in 1936. Two other athletes in the party for Sydney, W. A. C. Pullar (Dunedin) and •A. R. Geddes (Dunedin), were members of the New Zealand crosscountry team which went to Australia in 1935, and A. J. Sayers (Auckland), quarter-miler, was a member of the New Zealand secondary schools" team which competed at the secondary schools' athletic championship meeting during the Melbourne Centenary Celebrations.

Two of the cyclists for Sydney have also travelled abroad. F. J. Grose (Canterbury) represented, New Zealand at the British Empire Games in England in 1934 and G. R. Giles (Canterbury) at the Olympic Games at Berlin in 1936.

Of the swimmers, N. Crump (Auckland) was a New Zealand representative at the British Empire Games in England in 1934, and Miss M. Leydori, though not as an official New Zealand representative, has competed with distinction in Australia.

None of the boxers or wrestlers has represented New Zealand outside the Dominion. Four of the wrestling team, |T. Nolan (Wellington), L. Thomas (Wellington), T. R. Anderson (Wellington), and H. R. Godfrey (Wellington), were | New Zealand representatives against | the Australian wrestlers who visited New Zealand last year.

Trie members of. the New Zealand team will be assembling in Wellington during Wednesday, and are to sail for Sydney by the Wanganella on Thursday night.- • ■