GENERAL SPORTS NEWS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXI, Issue 21743, 7 March 1934, Page 14

GENERAL SPORTS NEWS

UNIVERSITY BOAT RACE RECORD RUGBY RECEIPTS f INTERNATIONAL GOLF TOURNEY The Oxford-Cambridge boat race will be rowed on March 17. It has been reported in Christehurch that W. JO. Merritt would probably be book in New Zealand for tho 1934-30 season. Jn a recent letter, however, Merritt repeats that ho is not likely to be back in the Dominion for several years. The receipts at the Rugby international match between Wales and England, at Cardiff a few weeks ago, created a reoord for any football match in Wales. The amount taken was a little over £9OOO, which was £2OOO more than tho previous record.

By defeating Eden and Epsom A2 with the loss of only two matches, Ilemuera rotainod tho Caro Memorial Cup for tenuis, and has now recorded nine wins, as against four by Eden and Epsom. No othdr club has yet succeeded in securing tho trophy.

The fierce competition for staging big fights in New York is liaviug its offeet. on the balance-sheet of tho Madison Square Garden Corporation, which, shows a net loss of £41,000 for the sis mouths ended November, 1933, as compared with a loss of £26,000 over the same period the previous year.

The minimum sum guaranteed for tho international golf tournament to bo held at the Metropolitan Club's links, Victoria, in November next iB £3OOO. It is expected, however, that the amount will be increased to £6OOO. The competition will take place just prior to the Centenary celebrations tournament. After being the custodian of the Shelly Beach Baths since their opening in November, 1912, Mr. A. Farquhar retired from the position recently. Tho courtesy and attention of Mr. and Mrs. Earquhar gained for them the esteem of patrons, and last Wednesday representatives of these gathered at tho baths and presented Mr. and Mrs. Farquhar with an oak-framed chiming clock. Ted Phelps, the former world's sculling champion, states that he is willing to accept tho challenge of Bob Pearce, who beat him for the world's title some time ago, provided that Pearce does not insist upon a monetary guarantee. " I should like to have another chance against Pearce," remarked Phelps, " but tho idea of my depositing £SOO with him as a guarantee of good faith does not commend itself to mo." Tho Auckland Bowling Centre executive intends visiting one of the latest additions to its ranks, the Mercury Bay Club, next Saturday. Incidentally this is the only green that the secretary of the centre, Mr. G. L. Gladding, has not played on. It is hoped to take three teams, and no doubt the appearance of the city bowlers will be hailed with a certain amount of enthusiasm by the local people who do not receive many visits from outsiders.

Including the grant of £3OO from the proceeds of the M.C.C. Australian tour, 1932-33, and £l7B, the share of receipts of I the test matches last summer against the West Indies, Yorkshire cricket in 1933 reveals a profit of £1393. The gate receipts increased by £2913, and altogether 223,652 paid for admission to Yorkshire's home matches, compared with 174,032 in 1932. The

match with Lancashire at Leeds brought in, inclusive of entertainment tax, £2225.

The Wellington Rugby Union's statement of accounts for the past year shows a profit of only £3 Bs, from an income of £7464 16s Id. Rent of grounds took £I2BO 9s 2d of that income, interest £640 13s 9d, expenses of representative teamß £649 5s 7d, and depreciation £1147 8s 6d. The union's fixed annual charges are heavy. It was unable to meet the instalments duo on certain mortgages to tho New Zealand Rugby Union, and had to obtain an extension of time.'

Golfers in Florida, United States, are well catered for. Among the attractions at the Boca Raton, one of the show clubs of the United States, there are a 36-holes course, a club-house like a hotel, a motion-picture theatre, a swimming pool, bathing beaches and deep-sea fishing. The season there is just finishing. It attracted most of the big professionals in America, one of the chief tournaments being Miami-Bilt-moro, where the prize-money reached about £2OOO, and tne first prize £SOO.

A new world's speed record for 500 metres for women was established by Frl. L. Landbeck, the Viennesse figure skater, in the competition for the international speed skating championships at Davos. Frl. Landbeck's time of 01.35. beat her own world's record set up last year by twofifths of a second. H. Pedorsen (Norwav) won the men's 500 metres event in 42.85. C. Thunberg (Finland), a former champion of tho world, was second, and B. Evensen (Norwny) third. Thunberg won the 1500 metres event, in which Pedersen was third.

Turnbull and Quist, the leading Australian lawn tennis doubles combination, and presumably the pair on which Australia will rely for the forthcoming Davis Cup matches, have had rather a chequered career during the past season. At Wimbledon they came from behind to defeat Vines and Gledhill, the American champions; then they almost lost to Avory and Ritchie and were finallv eliminated by A. C. Stedman and E. D. Andrews. In the United States doubles championship they defeated Allison and Van Ryn and were narrowly beaten in the final by Lott and Stoefcn. They reached the final of the Australian championship only to loso to Perry and Hughes after a keen struggle.

In reviewing the English tour of tho Australian Rugby League team, which returned to the Commonwealth a fow days ago, a North of England paper says that the Australians wero not a really great side, but they made the best'uso of their limited gifts. "They endenvoured to make up for their deficiencies by hard training and good team-work,*but these were not sufficient against the strongest English teams. Had tho Australians had cvon one great, attacking centre three-quarter they would indeed have been formidable." The paper also remarks that tho standnrd of club play in England has improved so much in the last 10 years that tho Australians' record must bo considered no whit worse than that of any earlier touring team.

Just before. Ellsworth Vines began his professional lawn tennis career with a niatrih against W. T. Tilden in New York, he said he hoped to make between £SOOO and £IO,OOO during the year. He also expected to play better than ever. Ho attributed his poor form last year to "things on my mind, officials harassing me, and too much tennis." Asked about America's chances in the Davis Cup this year, Vines was pessimistic, and forecast defeat. He criticised tho methods of the team's supervision. "Wo need a professional at the helm, a man like Tilden or Richards," he said. "Either could tell you during a match what you were doing wrong. They understand conditions. They would do more than just watch umpires and decisions, and look out for ohattges in the ball."