WOMEN'S HOCKEY

Evening Post, Volume CXXVI, Issue 50, 27 August 1938, Page 23

WOMEN'S HOCKEY

SEASON NEARING END

DOMINION TOURNAMENT

(By "Corner.")

Although there yet remain one or two odd representative and other games to be played by Wellington teams, as far as the club games are concerned the season can be practically regarded as closed. The season for senior players will be wound up by the annual Dominion tournament, which commenced at Gisborne this afternoon and which will be continued all next week. From all points of view the season can reasonably be called a successful one, and although the weather conditions this winter have not always been favourable to hockey (a large number of postponements being necessary), some bright and spirited competition has been produced in all grades. The most important event of the season, of course, was che visit of the All-England team, which established a splendid playing reputation and left these shores with an unbeaten record. Representative teams all over the country were severely tried by the polished play of the visitors, and one of Wellington players' successes this season is the honour of being the only unbeaten team in the Dominion. Weaknesses in the play of iSTew Zealand teams that were emphasised by the manageress of the English team, Miss E. J. Warwick, were chiefly positional play, hitting recklessly, and the absence of the push and flick strokes. Players in Wellington, with varying success, have attempted to rectify these, and a greater exploitation of the handy push and flick shots has been seen of late in games. The lessons taught New Zaeland players by the touring team should find a good application in games in the present tournament. Tournament Team, in Action. Last Saturday players and supporters were afforded the opportunity of see- < ing this year's Dominion tournament

team in action. Playing against a considerably weaker second eleven, the team experienced no difficulty in securing a convincing win, but apart from the fact that the players obtained a good run together the game was not of value in testing out the performance of the players. The tournament team simply dominated the whole game, and although The Rest attacked with vim at times, they were not allowed much chance to utilise any advantages they obtained. The game revealed that Wellington has strength in its forwards and backs, and it should present a solid problem for any province aspiring to tournament honours. All recognise, of course, that Wellington's hardest match will be | against Eastern Southland, who have had such a long run of tournament successes in recent years. According to the revised draw that was published a fortnight ago, Wellington are now placed in the same section as Eastern Southland, but will open their games by playing Auckland, which was the fixture set down in the original draw. If Wellington can overcome Eastern Southland in the last match of the section, then no further outstanding opposition is likely to be met. The team, which is under the captaincy of Miss I. Pickering and in charge of Miss C. M. Wilkins, left on Thursday night for Gisborne. C.O.G. Successes. A successful season has been experienced by the C.O.G. Club, as in addition to annexing the senior A championship, the club's other two teams are in exceedingly favourable positions for championship honours. It seems on performance that clubs in the intermediate grade were fortunate in not being harassed by the yellow and black unifor; is. Coiiege Old Girls players are in the happy position of being able to secure training facilities that are not open to other clubs, and in this way possess an advantage that competing teams have difficulty in overcoming.