SWIMMING ITEMS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXI, Issue 21951, 7 November 1934, Page 22

SWIMMING ITEMS

WATER POLO MATCHES COMMENCEMENT TO-MORROW STRENGTH OF THE CLUBS Activities of the new competitive swimming season will be opened with the first series of water-polo matches, which will be played at the Tepid Baths to-morrow evening. All will he lowergrade matches, senior games being left for decision at swimming carnivals, as has been the usual practice. Once given scant attention, waterpolo now has a prominent place in club life, and all clubs, inspired to a large extent by the energy of the Auckland Water Polo Control Board, take the game seriously, hold regular practices and regard the winning of a grade championship as a major success. The number of players has increased each year since the board was established, and, as there are 270 to provide for this season, it has again been obliged to inaugurate another grade. The intermediate grade is a new division and is oi>en to players ineligible for the junior grade yet not experienced or skilful enough for the B grade.

To he in readiness for the resumption of matches, clubs have been practising hard, two or three of them for

several weeks. There will be keen competition among players for a place in the Auckland representative team, because for the first time in eight years

the New Zealand championship will be decided at Auckland in February in conjunction with the swimming contests, and, not having travelling expenses to discourage it, the board will be able to select a team typical of the high standard attained here. Auckland will also have a splendid opportunity of winning the New Zealand water polo trophy outright, a success it has never achieved, the best; it has done being two draws with Canterbury, the first at Greymouth in 1930 and the second at Napier in 1933. Waitemata's Good Record

Winner of the A grade championship last season, the Waitemata Club will again rely upon most of its seniors. For another year the team will bo captained by J. Enwright, whose experience and shrewdness as a player are enforced by his speed as a swimmer. Increasing thp number of representative players in the team is the former Grammar swimmer, R. Thomas, who should strengthen the forward line considerably. Fairgray retains his position in goal and others considered certain of inclusion in the team are J. Thomas, J. Farquliar, M. Honeyfield, A. Pascoe and a newcomer from Sydney, J. F. Smith.

Years ago, when there were few water-polo teams, Waitemata produced a team that, season after season, won the Auckland championship, establishing a record never likely to be equalled. Eventually, reverses were suffered by the club, and not until last season did it regain the championship. Having succeeded again, Waitemata is determined to hold the honour, so that rival teams hoping to wrest it away are not likely to do so without consistent, unslackened effort.

The Ponsonby Club's loss of the A and B grade championships last season came after it had held both for three yeais, and its" efforts to recover them this season should have the effect of raising its standard of play still higher. The senior team will bo little different from that which represented the club last season and, as the bulk of the players have been associated for several seasons, their understanding of one another's play, combined with their resolve to regain the championship, should produce a team certain to be dangerous to Waitemata. The regular Ponsonby team will no doubt comprise Stotter. Moore, W. G. Smith, Raper, Bunting, Stevens, Kay and Jordan. Mount Eden Enters A Grade

The Mount Eden Club's victory in the B grade championship last season has encouraged it to enter a team in the A grade, as well as being represented again in the B grade. The senior team will be selected from the captain, H. Moore, Cranch. Cordes, Forrest, Matthew, White, Frankham, Johnson and Berry. All of these men were members of the champion B grade team, and the combination they have already developed together should prove a solid basis for building upon in the more severe tests now facing them. The Grammar Club is again an entrant for the A grade, and hopes for better success than last season, when its team had an indifferent record. No other player in Auckland is superior to Grammar's captain and coach, W. F. Smith, and at all times during play he is a source of anxiety to opposing teams, so much docs he vary his tactics. If, in contrast to the experience last season, Grammar can cultivate greater keenness and field the same team for every engagement, it will have a bright chance in the competition. Among the players striving for selection are Porter and Lintott, two sound goalkeepers, Gover, Munroe, Steer, McLean, H. Withers, Knight, Stockley, Whitley and Pepper. The club has withdrawn from the B grade, and instead has nominated a team for the junior grade in order to interest boys of the Grammar Schools in water polo.

New Parnell Players The wave of enthusiasm that recently revived the Parnell Club into a strong force has had the effect of making it eager to be prominent in competitions. Several new players are being trained, and with such old members as Lazarus, Skinner, M. Withers, Butcher and Milnes to form tho nucleus of its A team, Parnell should be capable of offering sturdy resistance to opponents.

. North Shore will be represented by a number of young players, led by Sawtell. Four expected to gain a place in the team are Crump, Webb, Rainey and Mcintosh. To date five teams have been entered for the A grade, and nine for the B grade. Nominations for the intermediate and junior grades, and for the inter-house competition, have not yet closed.