West Coast Tug-of-War Championship

Manawatu Times, Volume LVI, Issue 7185, 17 June 1933, Page 8

West Coast Tug-of-War Championship

COOPER BROTHERS BEAT KOPUTAROA IN PINAL SHOW ATTRACTION The West Coast tug-of-war championship was decided at the Showgrounds stadium last evening in the presence of a large and enthusiastic crowd, and the honours of the occasion were carried off by Cooper Bros., the well-known team from the Eketahuna district, Coopers beating Koputaroa by a small fraction of an inch in a most exciting final. There were 13 teams competing, three of them drawing byes in the first round. Tho pulls were hotly contested and in tho majority of cases the winning margin was particularly small. Tho judge was Mr R. MacDonald, the well-known sportsman from Ashhurst, and ho was not allowed to loaf on the job, for tho teams were evenly matched and exceptionally keen. Other officials were Messrs C. N. Babone (announcer), Jim Purves and Jess Selwyn (stago managers), Jack Purves and E. R. Chapman (call stewards), and 11. E. Bennett (timekeeper). The Teams Tho teams were as follow: — Cooper Bros.: R. F. Cooper, L. A. Cooper, H. A. Cooper, A. Williams, J. McKinnon, C. B. Cooper (skipper). Nireaha: G. Welch, L. Cadwallader, J. Northeott, A. Dumbleton, R. Laurence, C. Goss (skipper). Mangahao: R. H. McKenzie, R. Roberts, C. Stern, N. Batt, G. Hassall, B. E. Lind (skipper). Kaiparoro: E. Sigvcrtsen, N. Murphy, B. Castles, J. Toney, D. Peck, J. Hansen (skipper). •> Webb’s: F. Powell, E. Phillips, E. Duff, T. Curtis, A. Millington, T. Webb (skipper). Broadlands A: L. Hackett, C. Burgess, K. Eomley, K. Havill, D. McCrac, T. Paton (skipper). Broadlands B: C. Ralph, A. Davis, A. Maunder, H. Henson, J. Kingdon, R. McKay (skipper). The Triers: R. Wroblcnski, G. Franklin, W. Kirk, M. Bowler, T. Rosvcll, A. Wroblcnski (skipper). Koputaroa: F. Graham, L. Barry, N. Taylor, 11. Hood, I. Palmer, C. Syme (skipper). Aokautere: L. Rix, F. R. Lewis, J. Woods, E. Laurence, M. Kristensen, F. N. Andrews (skipper). Matamau: A. Jackson, E. Lines, J. Malmanebe, C. Sisson, B. Maycock, I. Summersby (skipper).

Springs’: F. Dudson, A. Spring, F. Anderson, Phillips, W. Terry, J. Spring (skipper). First Round Webb’s (City Council) beat Broadlands B (Ashhurst) by one inch. Cooper Bros. (Eketahuna) beat Springs’ (Nireaha) by half an inch. Matamau (Dannevirke) beat The Triers (Whaliarongo) by three inches. Kaiparoro (Wairarapa) beat Broadlands A by two inches. Nireaha beat Mangahao by two inches. Byes: Fitzherbcrt, Koputaroa and Aokautere. Second Round Cooper Bros, beat Webb’s by one inch. Kaiparoro beat Matamau by two inches. Nireaha beat Fitzherbert by an inch and a-half. Koputaroa beat Aokautere by an inch and a-lialf after tho latter team had held the advantage for tho firsthalf of the pull. Semi-Finals Cooper Bros, beat Kaiparoro by a quarter of an inch after a very strenuous pull and the judge said he had never seen a more exciting contest. Koputaroa beat Nireaha by two inches in another great contest, Koputaroa proving themselves a very solid combination. The Final Cooper Bros.’ team, turning the scales at 55st. 121 b, met Koputaroa, 59st. 91b, in the final. Cooper Bros, swung the indicator their way at the start, but Koputaroa made a desperate effort, amid deafening cheers, and Coopers’ were not able to gain more than the half-inch, which was the deciding margin. Coopers’ won the re cen-t contest in the Opera House, but they were flat out to beat the Koputaroa team which, though losing, was by no means disgraced.