THE BOXING RING.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19349, 9 June 1926, Page 18

THE BOXING RING.

NOTES AND COMMENTS.

NEXT MONDAY'S CONTEST.

HAY TO FIGHT PURDY*

The Northern Boxing Association s match, between Hay, welter-weight champion of New Zealand, and Cnarles Purdy, should attract a large gathering of enthusiasts to the Town Hall on Monday evening. The appearance of Hay will be anticipated with extra interest as it .will be his first fight in Auckland. He is a recent recruit to the professional ranks, but has already made a very favourable impression. It was as an amateur that Hay gained his early prominence, and the fact that he won 14 bouts on end, including the welter-weight championship, shows he was well qualified to join the professionals. Purdy has had a busy time lately, having fulfilled several engagements in southern centres as well as in Auckland. When last he boxed at the Town Hall he was unexpectedly declared the loser to W. Chambers, of New South Wales. Chambers will have as his second opponent in New Zealand, the Filipino, Silvino Jamito. The contest will be staged on June 19 at Napier, where Chambers was born. England's New Hope. A star has been created in English boxing circles by the prowess of Elky Clark, who won the fly-weight championship with flying colours and, showed himself to be the well-equipped fighter that England is looking for. In fact, so impressive was Clark's display that a match for the world's title is advocated on his behalf. Clark is not a youngster, although he is far from the veteran stage, and those who are anxious to see Jimmy Wilde's old title brought back to England would prefer Clark to make the attempt without delay. Harry Collins, middle ..and welter-weight champion of Australia, put on a good deal of superfluous flesh while on a holiday in New Zealand, and is now training hard on the bush roads at Moree, New South Wales When Collins returns to Sydney he intends to seek engagements with Len :Johnson, "Tiger" Payne and "Sunny-Jim'' Williams, three coloured men. Banned For Blindness. Basing its verdict on the fact that "Tiger" Flower's vision was so badly impaired >in one eye that he could not see and that it would be in the N best interests of boxing in California to bar him from appearing, the State Athletic Commission recently signified its dissatisfaction of any bout in which the world's middle-weight champion might figure. There is also a possibility that Harry Greb, who lost his title to Flowers, will come under a similar ban as he is partially blind in one eye. SPEED ON THE WATER. TWO AUCKLAND CRAFT. Taking advantage of the fine weather last week, the speedboats Wee Bell and Spot indulged in friendly trials up and down the harbour. There was hardly a ripple on the water and fast times were recorded. Later in the day the boats exchanged crews, who thoroughly enjoyed the experience of handling an opponent's craft.

In the Wee Bell, which was formerly equipped with a 90 h.p. Curtis aeroplane engine, a 10 h.p. car engine has been installed. Even with this motor she can attain a speed of 20 knots, which is indeed good going. Messrs. Williams and Laycock, owners of Spot, have increased the speed of their craft considerably by reducing the pitch of the propeller. She is now credited with doing 25 knots. RANFURLY SHIELD RECORDS HAWKE'S BAY'S BIG SCORE. Until last Thursday the record margin of points in a Ranfurly Shield match was Auckland's defeat of Southland by 48 ' points to 12 in 1906, and Hawke's Bay's victory over Poverty Bay by 46 points to 10 in 1924. But both these margins were easily eclipsed on Thursday, '■ when Hrwke's Bay defeated Waira rapa by 77 points to 14. To the defenders' handsome total Grenside .and M. Brownlie each contributed 19 points, while Blake, it 'is claimed, established a record for shield matches by scoring five tries. SOUTH AFRICAN RUGBY. LESSON FROM NEW ZEALAND. The New- Zealand rule, which forces teams to keep the ball in play instead of kicking to touch outside their own 25, was given a trial in an important Rugby match in South Africa recently. As a sequel to the favourable impression created by this change, New Zealanders will be interested. to learn whether South Africa will incorporate this rule into its playing laws.. The match was between Diggers and Witwatersrand /'University. "The result," states the Johannesburg Star, "was a fast and interesting game, which appealed greatly to the crowd. . . . The effect* of the New Zealand rule was to throw a tremendous amount of work on the players, and early in the second half the pace was felt and there were bellows 1 to mend. . . There was scarcely a dull moment in the play."

THE SPIBIT OP RUGBY.

INTERPRETATION OF RULES.

Do; the crowds appreciate brighter Rugby? It seems questionable. , One can go to Eden Park on any Saturday and hear ; tho brass-throated barrackers on the stand shout his derisive "Oh, I say, referee" and "What about the knock-on ?" The'men with the whistle, regardless of their: degree of proficiency, can never hope to silence tins, type of enthusiast. He is the "little Engiander" of the Rugbjr world. He detects a minor inaccuracy and he roars for the game to be stopped. But a team may be penalised for a comparatively serious breach and the critic on the stand fails to see the reason. The advantage rule provides one instance. Who would want to go back to the old days-; of whistle and scrum, whistle and free kick, for breaches that were quite accidental' and gave no advantage to either side? New Zealand has'done much to brighten the game without destroying any of its traditional and fundamental principles. South Africa even now is anxious to take a leaf out of our book. The Transvaal Rugby Union has made formal applicacation to the South African Board for permission to introduce the New Zealand innovations and restrictions with regard to touch-kicking for other than strictly defensive purposes, and then only from the twenty-five area on either side. The Transvaal is not alone in its demand for conditions that will compel a more open game, as Natal has also made a similar move.