OUT DOOR SPORTS AND PASTIMES

Free Lance, Volume XVIII, Issue 959, 28 November 1918, Page 19

OUT DOOR SPORTS AND PASTIMES

By ToucMima.

Personal Notes.

THE influenza epidemic still continues to exact its toll of victims from the community, although the evidences at the time of writing are that the end is in sight. Other writers in the Free Lance will deal with the epidemic and the factors arising out of it: my province is its effect on the sporting side. In the first place, all cricket matches were postponed again last Saturday afternoon. This was a, wise decision on the part of the controlling body, for, until the epidemic is thoroughly stamped out, no gathering together of people in • crowds should be permitted. And it is not possible for cricket matches to be played without groups of conversationalists assembling together and talking about the game and any other things that happen to> come into the minds of the enthusiasts. Another thing against playing cricket in Wellington these days is the pavilion at the Basin Reserve. It is old and out-of-date, and at the best of times in anything but a sanitary condition. The custodian can be relied upon to do his best to make it habitable and to thoroughly disinfect it, but a new pavilion, in the interests of the good health of the players and spectators, is an absolute necessity. Someone said that a good fire through certain parts of Wellington would be better than the most rigid course of disinfection, and this, in my opinion, is true of the building that does duty at the Basin Reserve as a pavilion for the spectators and dressing-rooms for the players. * ■» # » The death of D. D. Weir through an attack of influenza has removed one of the outstanding figures in the government of Rugby football in the Dominion.. I have known him and had a close connection with him since first he came to Wellington some twenty years ago-7—and, although I have not always been in accord with his opinions and methods, I have admired his enthusiasm and the willingness. to do anything he considered the right thing in the advancement and for the better playing of Rugby football. Danie Weir was born and brought up in Oamaru a little less than fifty years ago. _ He learnt Rugby football at the public school there, and was one of the leading forwards in North Otago in his day. After leaving school he

entered the service of the New Zealand Railways, and by dint of studied attention to his duties had worked himself up to a good position in the Locomotive Engineers' Department. When D. D. Weir was in Oamaru the New Zealand Rugby Union came into existence, mainly through the efforts of the late Ernest D. Hoben. The authorities in Canterbury and Otago' were not favourable to the idea, but Weir was one of its strong supporters, and by persistency on his part, together with those associated with him, the North Otago teams voted at the meetings of the Otago Rugby Union in favour of th& proposal. I gathered this from "Danie" himself in one of the many chats I had with him on the progress of the gamel in New Zealand. In Hawke's Bay, where next his influemce was felt, *D. D. Weir was a member of the Management Committee of the Hawke's Bay Rugby Union, and it was here while on tour with the 1900 Wellington representative team that I met him first. Shortly afterwards he removed to Wellington, and he was not long, here till he was given a, seat on the Management Committee of the Wellington Rugby Union, a position he has held year in and year out ever since. For the last few seasons he has been Chairman of the Union, and, through a strenuous time, has helped to keep up the standard of Rugby football in our town and district. "Danie" Weir was a remarkable personality—one with a persuasiveness that convinced people sometimes against their will that the course "he suggested was the right one to pursue. I could mention instances in plenty, and they would well serve to show that he had the qualities that make for the leading of his fellow-men. In the sporting world he had only.one idea in life, viz., the advancement of

Rugby football, and the page on the history of the game in Wellington devoted to his energies will be a bright one when it is committted to paper. As a good fellow, a hard worker, and an enthusiast, I regret exceedingly the passing of "Dame." Weir from the government of Rugby football. May the earth lie lightly on him. ■***■■*. Another fine fellow who has fallen a victim to influenza is William R. L. Gibbes, the well-known and popular East Club and Wellington representative cricketer. In business life he was a clerk in the employ of Townsend and Paul, the auctioneers and produce merchants. When "Billy" Gibbes came across from Sydney, where he was a member of the Glebe Club, ha joined the old Phoenix Club, and soon played himself into popularity with the spectators and to a place in the Wellington representative team. W. Gibbes was a, classy lefthand bowler and batsman, and on his day was a power to the Phoenix and East Clubs, with whom he played durino- his residence in Wellington. He could bring off the leig-hreak that is the big asset of a lefthand bowler with great effect on occasions, and, considering that he was not built on the light side, could keep one end going for a surprising length of time. As a batsman he was inclined to be weak on the ball coming down on his body, but the square cut, the late cut, arid the drive he could make with the best of them, putting an awful lot of wood behind his shots. A good left-hander is one of the strongest assets a cricketing

eleven can have, and W. 8,. L. Gibbes was the best all-round left-hander we have had in Wellington cricket. His doings with bat and ball would take up a lot of space. Suffice it to say, that with W. A. Baker he had many a century-partnership for the first wicket for the East team, and their tally of 221 runs was for some time the best total for the first wicket in Wellington cricket. It has been beaten, I know, since they registered it, but this pair have to their credit the biggest aggregate of century-stands for a wicket. This denotes the quality of his batting. His best performance with the ball was the taking of nine University wickets in one innings in a championship match. W. R. la. Gibbes was a fellow who made no enemies on the cricket field in Wellington. As a matter of fact, he

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was one of the most likeable of men; a good comrade and a club-man to the .finger tips 3 he was welcomed wherever he went. He retired from active playing at the beginning of last season,, mainly through an attack of but there were many of us who hoped to see him in action once again. Alasy it is not to be. To his wife and small family I extend the sincere sympathies of myself and the cricketing community' of Wellington - * Another victim to the influenza epidemic is Sam Galbraith,. an old-time front-rank forward in thei Poneke: team. Sam was one of those quiet unassuming chaps hardly known outside his own club, but the Poneke players of ten to fifteen years ss ago have kindlyrecollections of the good work done forthe club and the team by the genial' Sam. ,