TOPICAL TATTLE

Evening Star, Issue 23122, 23 November 1938, Page 4

TOPICAL TATTLE

[By'H.P.S.j

NEWSY NOTES ON SPORT

Hospitality Overwhelming. “ While the banquets given Australian elevens in England are appreciated as gestures to Australia, it would materially assist us to get our team fit if they were curtailed,” said Don Bradman recently. “ Starting at noon they go on often until 11 p.m., and it is a great strain on the players. Ims is' not meant as a criticism of these functions, merely an assertion that the hospitality is rather overwhelming, Bradman added. Versatile Mathieson. Peter Mathieson. national champion back stroke swimmer and former Otago representative, is nothing if not versatile. In Dunedin he ran with the harriers and looked like making a first-rate wrestler, showing great promise in the Anderson school. Going to Auckland, Mathieson met with a good deal of success in field events in the winter competition conducted by one of the Auckland athletic clubs, and this summer, m addition to his training for swimming, , he has been directing his attention to rowing. He is a member of the Auckland Club, and the crew in which he found a place won heat and final of the trial fours, so it appears now as though Mathieson will be round taking part in regatta rowing. He has already made his mark as a harbour swimmer in addition to hid championship performances in free; style and hack stroke, and there seems no end to his sporting capabilities. ■ Golfer and Footballer. An ex-Otago amateur champion, J. A. Scouler, led the field in the first round of the Open Golf Championship of New Zealand and eventually finished twenty-third on the list. Jim Scouler is a fine golfer and a member of the committee of the Otago Golf Club, and he was also a noted Association football player, representing for many years, during which he played for the Northern Club. In his youth in Scotland he was a noted schoolboy athlete, showing wonderful promise as a middledistance runner. Poor Rugby Forwards. “ Never in my life have I seen such a poor standard in our forward- football,” said Mr L. B. Callaghan, at the meeting of the council of the New South Wales Rugby Union. “ Our im ' ternational-forward standard in matches against the All Blacks was very low. We had the spectacle of our hooker, a fast striker, getting the ball, only to see it taken by the New Zealand front row; <lf we are to have the bright, open game, the part that forwards play in it must not he forgotten.” Rhodes Scholar’s Hockey Form. G. L. Hogben, the Auckland Rhodes - Scholar at present studying at Oxford, recently showed outstanding form iti the' Oxford Freshmen’s trial hockey match. The- JL/ondon ‘ Times,’ com- ;• menting on the game, states: “Some promising players were seen in the trial. Warren, Bristol and Worcester, and Hogben, Auckland-, University and New College, at right hack, were particularly good; and Hogben might do even better in the half-back line.” Hogbenhas since been elected an Occasional. The Occasional are selected players from whom most of the University Blues are chosen. One-armed Golfer’s Win. The customary order was reversed recently, states a Sydney writer, and it was a case of one arm being better than two, when W. K. Hunt carried off the Royal Canberra Golf Club s championship for C grade players. Hunt, who is an officer of the Departs ment of the Interior and the club s one-armed Digger player, was greatly cheered by. the win, which came his way after three years’ hard trying and regular play in competition events. All-round Cricketer. Sidney Barnes, the Australian test cricketer, got his p.ace in the team as a batsman. He did not disappoint in that role, although he had to stand out of early matches through the wrist accident on board ship. If Barnes were not so good a batsman he might have concentrated on wieketkeeping to eventuallv win test honours in that position, says a Sydney writer. He has natural ability for work behind the stumps. As a slow break bowler Barnes may be given an opportunity of developing a little in this capacity. Every potential first-class bowmr is worthy of attention,: encouragement, ' and opportunities this season. Springbok Three-quarter’s Retirement. News from South Africa announces the retirement of J. White, Springbok centre three-quarter. Known to his team mates as “ Jimmy the Killer because of his vieipus tackling, White was recognised as the sheet-anchor of the Springbok .backs during the 1931 tour of England and the 1937 ' Australia and New Zealand.' He did not win a place in the South African test teams against the touring British side this year. Victory Meant Nothing. The expected visit to Sydney about the end of this year of world sculling champion Bob Pearce will evidently nob materialise (says the Sydney ‘ Sun ’). In a letter to “ Cambridge, Bob says that the death of his wife (the former Miss Reita Hendon, ot • Double Bay) was the hardest blow he has ever suffered. “We had booked to leave for Sydney,” says Pearce. “ but now I don’t know when I will -see the old town again.’ Referring ■ to his meeting with Evans Paddon for the world title. Bob writes; “ The race cam. 3 out on the right side, but this was once that victory meant nothing to me. for the first time since I commenced sculling—and you know how long that is—Reita was not there. English Rugby Rumours. There are vague rumours going about in England that Rugby Union diehards might consider raising the question of the amateur status of 30 prominent i players—many of them internationals —who assisted to make a film named ‘ Modern Rugger.’ The picture will do a lot to boost the game, and the producer had the support of the English Ingby Union. The players who starred in the film received no payments, but the probabilities are that those who travelled from distant parts to be filmed were paid hotel and rail expenses. It seems absurd that the amateur standing of men who helped in a worthy cause should be questioned on this point; but you have to remember that many of the Rugby Union officials in England are very, very conservative. Just a Day’s Golf. The marathon golf craze continues in America. On the Broadmoor Golf Club’s links, at Larchmount, Frank

Carino, a 27-year-old engineer, dashed madly around the course to set up » new record of 235,h01es in one day s play. He averaged 18 holes an hour. He began operations at 5.40 a.m. and finished strongly after 14 hours ami 28 minutes. His scores for the rounds were 78, 7G, 74, 77, 7G, 76, 82, 75, 83, 82, 82, 81, 83. Par for the Broadmoor course is 72. New Zealand golfers who might have ideas of trying to beat the record may like to know that Carino’s diet for his big day’s golf was orange juice during the morning, which he took at the end of each nine holes. For lunch, ,a steak, and during the afternoon he alternated tomato juice with a soft-boiled egg every two hours. Secret Ballot,

Kingstonian Football Club, British amateur Soccer side, held a secret ballot to decide who should keep goal for it. When Cyril Longman accepted an invitation to keep goal for Islington Corinthians on a world tour G. l.indsav, who stepped in, played so well that lie was selected for the county three times. On Longman’s return the Selection Committee could not decide between the two men, and so the General Committee held a secret ballot. Lindsay won, and Longman refused a place in the reserves.