SCRAP BOOK

Manawatu Times, Volume 61, Issue 74, 28 March 1936, Page 9

SCRAP BOOK

Out of. Luck. J. R. Page, the All Blacks’ fiveeighth, who is studying military tactics in this country, is s.till out of luck. Forced by injuries to stand out of matches during the tour, Page had accepted an offer to play for London Scottish and was regarded as a possible for the Scottish international side v. England.' Recent practice in Scotland brought further trouble from Page’s injured leg and ho will not be able to play again this season.

Boat Race Early. An official who has had a long connection with the Oxford and Cambridge Boat Race recently reported that the time of the start on April 4 will be about 11.45 a.m. Cambridge will not go to G*<ing this year, but following their plans of 12 months ago, they will go straight to the Tideway. It was expected that the week-end of March 7 would be their last at Cambridge and that they would make their headquarters again at the Isis B.C. at Chiswick.

Free Medical Service. Freo medical dental attendance was available for competitors throughout tho Olympic Winter Games. Close to the ski-ing stadium a special sport doctor’s house was erected and fitted with the latest medical equipment. The German Railways’ own first-aid train, usually stationed at Munich, was brought to Garmisch, and a ward in the surgical clinic was also reserved in case of emergency. * * * *

Cricketers Play Bridge. L. O’B. Fleetwood Smith and B. A. Barnett, members of tho Australian cricket team in South Africa, began a bridge contest with two of their teammates, L. S. Darling and Victor Richardson, at the beginning of the tour, and it has been continued during much of the tourists’ spare time ever .since. In a letter .to friends in Australia at the beginning of the month, Fleetwood Smith said that he and Barnett were about 7000 points up at that stage of the tour.

Wigan’s Decline. Wigan a little while back was a power in English Rugby League. The clubs’s decline has caused alarm among its friends. The men who were so successful last season are still there, but the years are .telling a tale on some, and, for the time being, others appear to have lost a lot of their dash. J. Sullivan, tho famous full-back, is being called upon week by week for greater defensive efforts than he has been required to make consistently in tho past. He is performing with a considerable amount of credit. * * • • Continued Success, After winning the Scales Cup for mixed foursomes play at Avondale last season, J. L. Blair and his mother, Mrs. Blair, qualified first in the event this year. Much was written about Blair, junr., in his play a.t Avondale last season, and he .has started the present year very auspiciously. His game is very much like his father’s—not long from the tees, but very accurate on the fairways and greens. He is still young enough for a little bad luck early in tho round to rattle him, but that will be mastered in a season or two.

Golf in China la most countries of the world the name “Golf” is sufficient to describe the game. In China, where the game has been making great strides recently, the enthusiasts had some difficulty in naming the sport according to their lights Brevity is not a strong point with the Chinese and their proper nouns must givo a description and not only a name For golf they chose “Cliiao Ch’ui Ilui,” which, being interpretted, ■means “An association for hitting jails into the country.” Comment on the aptness of the name is unnecMsary. • * • * Australian Sculler. Cecil Pearce, the Balmain sculler, by his treble defeat of H. Turner, so many times amateur champion sculler, will go to the Olympic Games fitly accredited as the champion of Australia, states a writer in the Sydney Referee. lie has shown steady improvement in his recent races,' has good style, is increasing in weight, and has the youth, vigour and spirit that meau much in a struggle against champions of other countries on foreign water. When he starts serious racing at the Games ho should keep up the reputation as a sculler, created by his cou/sin Bobbie, against international rivals. « » * w

Tribute to Commentator. The first man ever to broadcast a running description of an international Rugby match in Great Britain is Captain 11. B. T. Wakelam, who also told listeners in New Zealand on one occasion at least how the international matches were going on .the latest tour. When the All Blacks were leaving England an autographed photograph of the team was sent bw the manager, Mr. V. R. Meredith, in appreciation of his fairness and the ability with which he had described the games to listeners “not only on 'this side of the world, but on ours.” Mr. Meredith added, “We would like to pay our tribute to a good sportsman, which I think is the highest compliment we can pay,” * * * * “The Banner War-cry.” Trevor Wignall, in the London Daily Mail, on the day of the England-New Zealand Rugby match, said:— “Ouo thing we shall miss to-day will be the New Zealand war-cry . . . What is the actual reason why this was stopped, or prohibited? . . . One story is that the English Rugby Union considered it undignified ... As a consequence they requested the All Blacks to take the field as though they were entering a church ... If this is correct, it is the most laughable episode in the history of Rugger . . . The warcry had much to do with the popularity of the All Blacks of 190 o; it also assisted in increasing the gates ... I know it will be said that the rulers of Rugger care nothing for gates and spectators; but that, as has been said before, is sheer drivel ... It goes well at the more glowing moments of annual dinners, but .that is the most that can be said for it.”