POLO PLAYERS

Evening Post, Volume CXXV, Issue 109, 11 May 1938, Page 12

POLO PLAYERS

N.Z. TEAM RETURNS

WINNERS OF GOLD CUP

.SYDNEY TOURNEY

Cabled reports during the progress of the Australasian Gold Cup polo tournament, held recently at Sydney, made special mention of the speed and hardiness of the ponies ridden by the members of the New Zealand team. That this undoubtedly was an important factor in the success achieved by New Zealand's representatives was confirmed by their manager, Mr. G. de Vere Chitty, of Hamilton, on the party's return today by the Wanganella, but it was not alone the reason for the wins recorded. Mr. Chitty said that in addition the team had combined well to show splendid horsemanship. . The New Zealand team is the first to visit Australia and win the Gold Cup, although this of course was not the first visit to Australia by New Zealand players. An interesting feature of the present team's success is that the captain R. MacKenzie is the son of the captain of a New Zealand team which visited Australia 10 or 12 years ago. With the exception of MacKenzie, who comes from Hawke's Bay, all the members of the team are Waikato players. Including grooms, polo enthusiasts, and others, the .New Zealand party numbered 22. There were eight players. The A team comprised R. H. Nolan, 'G. Peake, K. Peake, and R. MacKenzie. A B team was also fielded, this consisting of the two emergencies "for the A team and two ; other players. EIGHT PONIES SOLD. Twenty-six ponies were taken over from New Zealand, and 17 were brought back by the Wanganella. I Eight were sold in Australia and one unfortunately was injured and had to be destroyed. As a further indication of the impression created by the ponies is the fact, meptioned by Mr. Chitty, that two of the New Zealand flayers were offered £350 each for two ponies, but they would not sell. These players, said Mr. Chitty, preferred to keep their ponies to defend the gold cup when the time came j round for that. i As a result of the New Zealand team's win, the right has been earned to contest the cup in this country, but whether this will take place next year or in 1940, the Centennial year, has not yet been determined. Mr. Chitty said that this was a matter which would be decided between the New Zealand and Australian authorities. He added that when the tournament did take place in New Zealand, he was hopeful that at least two teams would come from Australia. The tournament aroused considerable enthusiasm and much interest, and among the spectators were many New Zealanders, some permanent residents in Australia and others visiting the Commonwealth on holiday. These New Zealanders gave the Dominion's players a wonderful reception. Mr. Chitty also mentioned the interest displayed by enthusiasts in New Zealand, and said that in view of this fact he had interviewed broadcasting officials in Australia with a view to arrangements being made for running descriptions of the matches being rebroadcast in the Dominion. Two cable messages had been sent to the New Zealand broadcasting officials, but judging from the reply it was considered that the matches were not of sufficient broadcasting interest in New Zealand to give other than the final results. Mr. Chitty indicated that he was disappointed over the attitude that had been adopted. Commenting on other aspects of the trip, Mr. Chitty was very definite that it is necessary for a team from New Zealand to arrive in Australia at least 14 days before the opening of the tournament. "We had only four days before the tournament started," Mr. Chitty continued., "The ponies had had a fairly bad passage over and the accommodation they were allotted on arrival was not what they were accustomed to. The accommodation consisted of a 12 by 12, lean-to with rails and a brick floor, and we had to bed them down with straw. There were no paddocks to put them out into, and it was necessary for us to walk them round and exercise them as much as we possibly could." THE TOURNAMENT. , The Australian officials, however, said Mr. Chitty, very sportingly, in view of the late arrival of the New Zealanders, matched them against the weakest team in the tournament in the first match. Had the New Zealanders been drawn to meet Hunter River, winners of the cup last year, in their first match they would certainly have gone out in the first round. In the first match the ponies were unable to handle the ground properly, and two or three of the players, who had not relished the trip across the Tasman, had not recovered sufficiently to give of their best. The prospects were anything but promising. However, the New Zealanders, although they did not play as a team at all, managed to win the match b ya 6-goal margin. The first match was played on a Tuesday, and by the Thursday the team had settled down and were playing with splendid combination. The Hunter River team was beaten. 7-4, and in the last match, against Town and Country Whites, the New Zealanders won 9-4. j They improved with each game. Mr. Chitty said that the average age of the New Zealanders was between 24 and 25. They \vere much younger and lighter than their Australian opponents, and the horsemanship of the team outclassed that of the other teams, although there were Individuals in the Australian teams who displayed splendid horsemanship. The ponies had more pace, and when they became accustomed to the conditions turned better than the Australian ponies. Of the New Zealand players, Mr. Chitty said that K. Peake, at full-back, had played magnificently. It was considered in Australia that with a little more knowledge of the finer , points of the game he would be an international player fit to play in any country. He was regarded as one of the best Players seen in Australia or New Zealand ( and a two-goal better man than any of the other New Zealanders. One could not individualise among the others; they all played exceptionally well, and the whole party had worked in well together.