WHY NOT BILLIARDS?

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22538, 1 October 1936, Page 3

WHY NOT BILLIARDS?

NEW FEMININE PASTIME Since women have invaded the field of sport, and excelled in most of the games that were supposed to be the prerogative of men, one can hardly realise why the one pastime that should havo an appeal to the sex has been almost forgotten. As an indoor game billiards can have no rival, providing mental and physical exercise, and inculcating the true sporting spirit at the same time, remarks an overseas correspondent. Moreover, no game calls for greater delicacy of touch, and once the woman player becomes a proficient amateiir, a new interest is created in the sport generally. The game is spreading in England, where several of the betterclass men's clubs are devoting one evening a week to women's matches. Recently one player was credited with making a 100 break. In Sydney there are several women players who make 50 and 60 breaks at intervals. If they could be brought together in a tournament game, progress among other sporting girls would be rapid. Billiards is described by an Englishwoman as "the perfect slimmer," so that seems to be another feature in its favour.

The difficulty has been on the score of expense, but there should be ways and means of overcoming this; resourceful women generally discover them in times of emergency. The ideal game for long winter evenings, the introduction of billiards in clubs, would go a long way to break the monotony of the everlasting dance. In any case, there is room for the two forms of amusement in the well-con-ducted social club.