GENERAL NEWS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 22982, 9 March 1938, Page 23

GENERAL NEWS

FOOTBALLER RETIRES CAMBRIDGE'S BOWING CREW FORMER- BOXING CHAMPION In the early days of his golfing career X. von Nida realised that his wrists were not strong enough to play the game efficiently. Ho solved the problem by chopping wood tor several hours daily for months. Now, although von Nida is short in stature, and only weighs about nine stone, he is Australia's longest hitter. K. S. Mortlock, Canterbury Rugby centre-three-quarter since 1933 and a South Island representative in 1934j has decided to retire from the game. 1). G. Cobden. who played on t|ie wing lor the All Blacks in the first test match against the Springboks at "Wellington, has left Christchurch,_ and is on his way to England for business experience. Mr. Charles l'nrdue, former All Black and Southland Rugby representative, is retiring from the employ of a well-known business firm, after 35 years' service. The manager, on behalf of the employees, presented Mr. Purdue with an easy chair. "Well known as a fine Rugby forward, Mr. Purdue represented Southland from 1896 to 1905, and New Zealand in 1901 and 1905. New Zealand, Tasmania, Western Australia, and South Australia, lour of the six starters in the rescue and resuscitation event at the interDominion surf championships at Bondi, were disqualified because their beltman did not reach their patient in the time required, 10 minutes. This was bad work in a sea that was only moderate, says a Sydney writer. If Tom Chester, the United States coloured boxer, can use his prodigious reach to best advantage, he is likely to prove a menace to any boxer in Australia. His reach is 74in. —2in. shorter only than Jack Dempscv's, and is much longer than Jack Johnson's. Turning ■ professional in 193-1, Chester has since had 50 contests, with a good proportion of knock-out wins. Chester is 23, he stands sft. llin., and weighs list. 111b. Cambridge University has a serious rowing problem on its hands for 1938. After four weeks' experimenting, the potential Cambridge crew for the boat race is slower than the "B" crew by 10 seconds over three miles. In wild weather the two crews rowed their weekly lock-to-lock trial, and the reserve crew, stroked by S. M. Kadie, finished in 16m 265. The Oxford crew is credited with being the most powerful for years. A correspondent, "Albion," inquires if Billy Murphy, of New Zealand, won a world's boxing title. Billy Murphy won the feather-weight championship of the world by defeating Ike Weir on a technical knock-out in the 14th round. The match was held at the California Athletic Club, San Francisco, on January 13. 1890. Murphy is the only New Zealand-born boxer to win a world title bout.—Athletics Editor. The Australian Davis Cup team will leave this year with probably quite as good prospects of success as any previous team, and there appears to bo no reason why they should not contest the challenge round against America. Vor. Crainm and Honkel aro reasonably certain of winning the European zone, but the results of their matches m Australia have shown that they are not unbeatable, particularly in the doubles, which may be the turning point of the tie. There are some outstanding long-dis-tance performances among test cricket bowlers. Grimmett, in the tour of England in 1930, bowled 6090 balls, for 144 wickets. In 1934 he sent down 5710 balls for 109 wickets; while O'Reilly's record was 5 220 for 109 wickets. None of these, however, compares with the efforts of Turner and Ferris in 1888. Turner bowled the tremendous number of 10,359 balls, and secured 314 wickets; while Ferris was an excellent assistant with 8890 balls for 220 wickets. The former swimming champion of the Dominion at free-style sprinting, W. «T. .Jarvis, of the Waitemata Club, revealed himself a capable exponent of the breaststroke at the Mount Eden Club's carnival last Saturday night. He was first in the 100 yds breaststroke handicap, defeating in lm 20s a wellknown exponent. D. Webster, who was on the same mark. Swimmers as accomplished in the water as Jnrvis are few. Apart from being a freestylist, Jarvis has competed prominently in national backstroke contests. A young runner who looks to be on the road to success is J. Stephens, aged 21, of New South -Wales. He has been running for only six months, and nevercompeted at all as a boy, yet already he has stressed the lact that he is tinbest two miles track runner in New South Wales. He is extraordinarily like the New Zealander C. H. Matthews in build and running style. Like Matthews, he excels at anything from a mile to six miles. He is regarded as having splendid chances of developing as far as Olympic representation. The French Olympic Association, which is seeking negro athletic talent in Senegalese West Africa, is hopeful of good results by the 1940 Olympiad. The association lias established a huge camp at Dakar, where the natives will spend five months. The negroes at first had no idea of competitive athletics, but now have averaged 13 seconds for 100 metres, 5 minutes 28 seconds for 1500 metres 4ft. llin. for the high jump, and 18ft. Sin. for the long jump, all an appreciable improvement on their earlier performances. A few covered 100 metres in 11.2 seconds. A correspondent, "West End," enquires the name of the trophy won by Darcy Hadfield at the Henley regatta in 1919, and whether ho was eligible to contest the Diamond Sculls, also the name of the trophy competed for by the New Zealand Expeditionary Force crew at the same regatta. The Diamond Sculls was not rowed in the year mentioned. A substitute event called the Kingswood Sculls, which is the race won by Hadfield, was decided. The trophv was named the Kingswood Sculls Cup and was presented by Mr. W. Horsey. The King's Cup was the trophv competed for by the Expeditionary Force eight.-—Athletics Editor. Two prominent New South _ Wales oarsmen, E. Bromley and W. Thomas, both of the Mosman Club, who competed in the Australian eight at the Umpire Games, have announced their retirement. Bromley, a few seasons ago, was regarded as the best bow side oarsman in Australia. He rowed in live King's Cup races, winning four, and was unfortunate in not being selected for Berlin Olympic Games. Thomas, although only 23, has had several years'" rowing and many successes. A neat bow mail, he was in New South Wales' winning King's Cup crew in 1936 and again last year, when it finished second. He and Bromley formed the bow side of Mosman's famous four, winner" of several senior and championship ruces in New South Wales, as well as the Stewards' Challenge Cup at ilenlev in 1935. It is understood that H. Turner, who won the Empire Games sculling title and is the holder of practicallv every Australian sculling record, is also retiring.