GENERAL SPORTS NEWS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXI, Issue 21807, 23 May 1934, Page 17

GENERAL SPORTS NEWS

GORDON INNES MARRIED 808 PEARCE IN TRAINING CYCLIST FOR EMPIRE GAMES A meeting of delegates to the Auckland Bowling Centro will bo held next Wednesday i'or tho purpose of voting for the seven representatives required for tho North Island on the New Zealand Association.

Gordon Innes, the All Black and Canterbury Rugby representative fiveeighths, who joined the Wigan Rugby League club last year, was married 011 .May 1 to Miss Eleanor Wright, of Opawa, Christcliuroh.

C. F. W. Allcott, the former Auckland and New Zealand representative cricketer, now resident in Wellington, is spending a holiday in Auckland. He was an interested spectator at the Rugby matches at Eden Park 011 Saturday afternoon last.

Bob Pearce, the world's professional sculling champion, now in Canada, has commenced training again. His next race will be in September at tho Canadian Exhibition, when he expects to meet Major Goodsell, of tho United States, and the two Englishmen, Erio Phelps ami Ernest Barry, in a £IOOO professional event.

E. R. T. Holmes, who, on the suggestion of D. R. .Tardinc, was appointed captain of Surrey in the lastnamed's place, is a capable cricketerfootballer, with the ability to put plenty of zest into everything he docs. It is anticipated that ho will make a worthy successor to Jardinc. Ho is a promising fast, bowler, keen fieldsman and hard-hitting batsman.

Daniel and Michael Shanahan, two momber3 of a former well-known Auckland swimming family, quickly "took to the water" upon reaching Dunedin. They participated at the Dunedin Swimming Club's recent carnival and Daniel finished third in a 66 2-.'5 yards breaststroke handicap, the winner being R. Geddes, Otago and New Zealand intermediate boy champion.

Women cyclists in England, like all other feminine sports enthusiasts, have had their share of criticism, but it has not prevented them from taking wholeheartedly to tho more strenuous side of tho game. Most of them ride the semisports type of machine, and their clothes—light gabardine suits, thick stockings, and brogue shoes —do not in tho least suggest fancy dress.

Probably tho strangest football match ever played took place on a London suburban ground recently. A team of blind players, who could follow the ball only by the rattling of dried peas inside it, played so well against a normally sighted team that it lost by only tho odd goal in 15. The teams played the Soccer code. The blind players kept their opponents on the alert throughout tho game.

There have been so many bad decisions lately that I am wondering if tho time is not yet ripo for the Board of Control to go through tho list of referees with a view to an overhaul, says a boxing writer in an English paper. Questionable verdicts are likely to shatter the ambition of youngsters who are striving to make headway in tho game. It is not possible for a man to referee a three or four hours' programme and retain his best judgment.

All Auckland cycling enthusiasts will be pleased that F. J. Grose, the Canterbury wheelman and winner of more Dominion cycling championship titles than any active cyclist in tho ranks at the present time, has been chosen as tho Dominion's representative at tho forthcoming Empire Games to be held next August. The cycling events which consist of a 1000 yards sprint, a 1000 metres unpaced time trial and a 10 miles scratch race, will bo held on the Fallowfield track at Manchester on August 11.

Miss Jennie Maakal, who qualified for two finals at the Los Angeles Olympiad, will be one of South Africa's representatives in the swimming events at tho Empire Games in London in August. Miss Maakal, who holds several records in her own country, leads a team of women who will challenge strongly for honours at tho Games. Other members of tho South African team arc Miss Molly Kvde, a. 14-year-old girl from Pretoria; Miss Edith Hayward, and Miss Kathleen lUissell, of the Transvaal.

Tho weakness of Great Britain in field athletics, a matter which has been a source of concern for some years, has resulted in a university of athletics being formed iji England. Captain F. A. M. Webster will bo in charge, and he will have as tutors such famous athletes as H. M. Abrahams, C. P. Best, J. Dalrymple, T. llampson, P. L. Howland, E. A. Montague, 51. C. Nokes, B. G. D. Rudd, and A, S. Turk. Those responsible for tho founding of tho university are considering the engagement of a Swedish export in field events as coach.

Georges Carpenticr is back in London again, this time without the glamour which surrounded his visits for the Beckett fight, but his visit is not without interest to the boxing community, says an English writer. At tho Stadium Club, in tho same ring wheiv) ho put Beckett to sleep in 74s 15 years ago, Carpenticr, now 41. years of ago. gave a demonstration of his fighting abilities reminiscent of his greatest days. Those flashing left loads and deadly right crosses are still there for the edification of young boxers.

The most important schoolboy hockey competition for many years will be commenced at Remucra on Saturday. The Auckland Hockey Association paid special attention to fostering interest among the primary schools last season and, as a result this year 12 teams, representing seven schools, have entered. Papatoetoo has entered two teams; Kowhai intermediate two, Hoinuora two, Avondale two, Point Chevalier two, Mount Albert one and Otahuhu one. The competition is divided into two sections, tho junior grade having an age limit of 1.'3 years, and a weight limit of Gst. 71b.

A correspondent, "New Zealander," writes: —Reading in your columns the report of the. recent English versus Scottish Association football match, the enthusiasm of .'50,000 Scottish lads and lassies, and the huge attendances, i am led to raise the question whether, in placing the Rugby game, excellent as it is, in the first rank in our winter sport, wo arc not missing out somewhat with the rank and file of the people of the Homeland. And as one reads from time to time of the international development of the soccer game, its spread into Italy, France, Yugoslavia and elsewhere, he wonders whether, by not fostering the soccer as well as the Rugby game, wo New Zealanders are not missing a splendid opportunity of making international contacts in sport. Why the soccer game lias not made more progress among us is probably because the .Rugby game was fostered first, but that seetns no reason why we should not start developing along soccer lines also. Have those in control done their best to incorporate this game into the thinking of New Zealand sportsmen P.