HOCKEY

Grey River Argus, 7 August 1937, Page 2

HOCKEY

K Cup Tournament: Once again the New Zealand women’s hockey tournament will be held i in Southland, the last occasion being : in 1930, when Eastern Southland A • and Wellington drew for the K Cup, 1 Otago winning the Holden Cup. ’ ' This was fortunate for Southland, ■ but it must be remembered that the r province’s team has had to travel con- ■ siderable distances for the last three ! years, to Christchurch in 1934, Gis- ■ borne in 1935, and Blenheim last year, ’ and so this year Southland will be > able to prepare for the expenses of ’ next year’s tournament. Also it is - about time that Southland had a turn i (writes “Full-back” m the Southland . Times), as seven years is quite long enough for the tournament to be 1 held away from a centre. The last > occasion on which Southland won the tournament was in 1929, and it should '■ be possible to select a team from the material available which will be able to win the tournament. The date of the tournament, which has not yet been decided, will probably be late in August. It is to be hoped that a big number of entries will be receiv ed from northern centres, as it will give the game here a great fillip. Growth of Hockey in Suva: The suggestion by the Suva Men’s Hockey Association that a team visit New Zealand.in the near future.is one that should be readily acceptable to the New Zealand Hockey Association (states the Evening Post). The Suva Association suggested that the tour should be organised for 1938,_ but the New Zealand- Hockey Association is negotiating with India for a visit in that year. It would be out of the question for the parent body to entertain a team from Suva on the same occasion, and the Suva Association has been asked to submit some idea of what financial arrangements might! be made for a tour if it could be ar-, ranged for some other time. The last time that New Zealanders had experience of the hockey ability of players in Suva was a year or two ago, when a New Zealand University,

hockey team toured Fiji, The tour was a highly successful one and the New Zealanders benefited greatly by their experience. Likewise the players in Fiji added to their knowledge of the game as a result of the visit. It is 20 years since the game of 1 hockey was introduced to Fiji, when I in 1915 two ladies’ teams were formed. They were known as “The Vitis” '> and “Service.” The following year three men’s clubs were formed, the / Service, Cadets, and Star (now the e Wanderers). Regular competitions were started e undei' the Suva Men’s Hockey Asso- ■ ciation the following year. The first ’> competition was won by Cadets Club s and the Star Club, subsequently ref named the Imperials, won the coms petition the second year, and for the i following nine years. In recent years i it has been won by the Grammar Old 5 Boys, and for the last three years by 3 the Marist Old Boys, both clubs being tof recent formation. The present ; Wanderers’ Club is the only remain--1 ing club of the three original clubs ? affiliated to the Suva Men’s Hockey ) Association. f During the war a representative t team of the Suva Men’s Hockey Asso- ? ciation played many games against i teams from visiting warships, and most of these games were won by Suva. After the war the first important game was played against a team from Suva in 1924, under the command of Admiral Field. The squadron team contained three English international hockey players, and the team as a whole was considered a strong combination, having defeated New South Wales and Victorian teams and most of tee New Zealand teams. i The game in Suva, after a fast and exciting struggle, was won by Suva by four goals to two. Two members of the team selected to play against the New Zealand University players were members of the team which ' played the squadron team and have , represented Suva in all subsequent matches. It is creditable that in the course of 19 years, up to the visit of the University team, Suva’s representative eleven had suffered but ona defeat.