GENERAL SPORTS NEWS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22543, 7 October 1936, Page 21

GENERAL SPORTS NEWS

GAINS FOR RUGBY CODE RETURNED SOLDIERS' GOLF COACHING OF ATHLETES An open day for amateur and professional golfers will be held on the Otahuhu Golf Club's links during the week-end. New Zealand's luck in cricket is well out, says an Australian writer. The Indians have abandoned the proposed visit this summer. They lost £IOOO on the English tour. Max Schmeling has knocked out 34 men of the 61 he has met —a lino record for a heavy-weight. His victims include Johnny Hisko, Young Stribling, Mickey Walker, and .Joe Louis. Twenty-four players were called on by the Otago selectors in the eight ifanfurly Shield matches this year. Taylor, the fullback, Black, Parkhill, Trevathan and Nivon played in all games. 11. U. Owen-Smith, the England Rugby international fullback and former South African lest cricketer, has been elected captain of the Hampshire Rtigbv team for the coming season Tho Auckland Rugby representative halfback J. J?. Frankham, who is to be married on October 17, will be another to join the list of prominent footballers who have been married during tho past few weeks. Auckland Rugby next season will be strengthened by the presence of two forwards, Hull, of Wellington, and Foreman, of Dunedin. Botn players, who have worn" the Wellington and Otago jerseys respectively during the season just closed, have been transferred to Auckland. Owing to the prevalence of trachoma, the painful eye disease which, has put so many wrestlers out of action during the past two seasons in New Zealand, all overseas matmen arriving in Australia will be compelled to undergo a strict examination before being permitted to land.

A golf tournament will be held at the Akarana links on Sunday, November 29, under the control of the Returned Soldiers' Association. It will be the first tourney of its kind to be held in Auckland and is expected to prove very popular, it is anticipated that many returned soldiers from country centres of the province will compete.

During the official opening ceremony of the Papakura Tennis Club's courts last Saturday, opportunity was taken by the president, Mr. J. 11. Wilson, to present, on behalf of members, a smoker's companion to Mr. G. F. McDonald, formerly captain of the club. The speaker paid a tribute to the efficient services rendered by Mr. McDonald as captain during the last 10 vears

All classes of golfers are catered for in America. The latest tournament to be promoted is one for lefthanded players, and some 6000 "southpaws" have been invited to attend. These figures are interesting, for the proportion of left-handers to righthanders is low. One can therefore only imagine how many golfers there are in America. No wonder they produce champions from such a large number of players.

The svmpathv of howlers will be extended to Mr. F. A. Hosking, of Pukekohe, a member of the Auckland Centre and one of the past presidents, in the death of his wife. Mrs. Hosking was very prominent in the social side of bowling in the Franklin district and was also well known as a member of the Pukekohe Women's Institute, haying been the first president. She was born in Avondnlo and went to Pukokohe after her marriage 16 years ago.

J. M. Watt, the Otago and New Zealand Bugby wing three-quarter, will bo in Wellington next season. He will be stationed at Wellington Hospital, where he will complete his degree in medicine. Watt, who is fast developing into one of the best wingers since the war, is almost certain to have at least another year in Rugby, especially in view of the visit of the Springboks. His presence in Wellington football should be of marked benefit to the game.

Tho Stableford form of golf competition has become popular all over Australia, but many clubs have applied their own conditions as to the form of arriving at a total. Point scoring, however, is uniform —one for doing a hole in one stroke over par, two for a par, three for a birdie, and four for an eagle. Tho procedure then varies. To tho points so gained, some clubs add the players' full handicap, others threequarters, and others half.

A coaching school for athletes during December is proposed by Titnaru nth letio officials as one means of bringing runners into contact with the famous New Zealand miler, J. E. Lovelock, when ho visits New Zealand at the end of the year. Tho suggestion is that athletes from all parts of the South Island should be brought together at Timaru for a period and given coaching in track and field athletics, with talks and possibly demonstrations by Lovelock. Tho champion has already taken a prominent part in assisting similar summer training schools in England.

Through the efforts of the New South Wales Amateur Athletic Association, there seems every prospect of two pronlinent American athletes visiting Australia and New Zealand early next year. Owens and Woodruff are the athletes the Australian body is endeavouring to secure, but, if these are not available, 0. vTohnstone and Glen Hardin will he invited. New Zealand authorities have been approached to participate in the tour, so that the Americans can visit tho Dominion. It is also proposed to invite V. P. Boot, tho half-mile champion, as well as two other prominent New Zealand runners, to compete against the Americans in Svdnoy.

Smooth progress was mado with tho business at the annual meeting of the Auckland Centre of tho New Zealand Amateur Swimming Association last week, tho meeting being free from the displays of feeling that have been an unpleasant feature in previous years. Full confidence was shown in the principal retiring officers, and all were reappointed, among them being tho honorary secretary, Mr. J. R. Miller, and the chairman, Mr. T. C. Hobbs-Jones, who thus entered upon his second year of office. The personnel of the management committee also remained the same, with tho addition of Mr. L. J. Kenny and Mr. L. Munro, chairman of tho Auckland Football Association.

There is more than a possibility that l.\ C. Lowry, former Now _ Zealand cricket captain, will be seen in action in Wellington again this season. Lowry, who is farming in tho Rangitikei district, played ono or two games in Wellington last year, but after a promising start, decided that his subsequent form did not warrant making the trip down each week, and that in addition he was keeping a younger player out of senior cricket. Lowry s action was to be applauded, but at the same time it was felt that lie was still capable of producing cricket of a high order. If lie does return to tho game seriously, then there is no doubt that he will have to be considered for the team to visit England next year, if for 110 other reason than his capacity for leadership.