GENERAL NEWS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 23088, 13 July 1938, Page 21

GENERAL NEWS

MAORI RUGBY TEAM FIVE LIFE-MEMBERSHIPS CRICKETER TRANSFERRED SPORTSWOMEN BEREAVED So successful has New Zealand been with one selector picking its s international team that one wonders if Australia will follow suit. Certainly it appears as if one man can produce a more workable team than many selectors do, says a Sydney Rugby writer. J. L. Griffiths, one of the live-eighths in the All Black team now in Australia, is captain and coach of the Poneke team in Wellington, and it is duo to his guidance that his side is at the head of the championship table level with Petone. Griffiths' absence and influence were keenly felt last Saturday, when Poneke lost to Johnsouville. '1 lie New Zealand Maori Rugby team, comprising ]!) players and two managers, will leave Auckland by the Niagara on August 9 for Fiji. The team "ill assemble at Wanganui when selected at the conclusion of a series of trials, and will play the Wnnganui representatives prior to leaving from Auckland. Five matches will be played in J«iji, and a game will also take place against Auckland on the team's return.

Jhe trophy for the most-improved novice oarsman in the Auckland Rowing Club last season has been awarded to the late A\ . S. Dykes. Dykes, who joined the club only at the beginning ot last season, showed great promise in rising to a place in the heavy maiden class. He was killed when he fell from the top of the new 2,000,000-gallon petrol tank during its construction re-cently,j-and thus died before the award was made. Much confusion was caused in the second division Rugby game between Otahuhu and Suburbs at Stnrges Park last Saturday by the similarity in colours and bands of the teams' jerseys. Otaliuhu's red and black clashed with Suburbs' red and blue, both jerseys being of hoop design. The members of both sides wore black shorts and stockings, which further added to the confusion. Dizzy Dean, famous pitcher for the St. Louis Cardinals, was bought by Chicago Cubs for 185,000 dollars, about £46,000, the highest price ever paid for a baseballer. Mr. P. E!. Wrigley, chewing gum manufacturer, is sole owner of the Cubs, and paid the record price. Altogether he paid £67,500 for tnrce players. Dean, who was paid £.'3750 salary bv the Cardinals last' year, gets no share of his purchase price. Mr. George Nelson, a well-known Otago Rugby official, was an interested spectator at the match between Ponsonbv and Technical Old Boys at Ed on Park last Saturday afternoon. He had attended the annual conference of delegates to the New Zealand Bowling Association earlier in the week. Mr. Nelson claims the unique distinction of being a life-member of four separate bodies—the Otago Rugby Union, Alhambra Rugby Club, Grange Cricket Club, and Otago Cycling Club.

T. S. McKay, an Australian, broke the 25-year-old amateur record at Stoke Poges during a qualifying round or the tournament for overseas golfers organised by the Lucifer Golfing Society. His round of 66 was two strokes better than the score made by R. H. de Montmorency in 1913. McKay, who won the Australian amateur championship in 1936, has had a disappointing time so far in England, but he has now apparently struck form. His figures were:—Out: 3, 6, 3, 4, 3, 4, 3, 4, 4—34; home, 4. 3, 3, 4, 3, 4, 3, 4, 4—32

Cricket in Canterbury has suffered a loss through the transfer to Dunedin of J. Jacobs, a well-known provincial batsman and captain at different periods of the Ricearton senior eleven. His batting average in the first-grade competition last season was an excellent one of 40.C7 runs. An exhilarating strokemaker, Jacobs firs£ represented Canterbury in 1927-2S, when he made 24 and 68 against a visiting Australian eleven and 61 and 69 against Otago in a shield game. He was 12th man for the Canterbury team which played Auckland at Eden Park last season.

Just as he was beginning to display really outstanding form, A. J. Savers, who has been a prolific try-scorer on the wing of the Hamilton Old Boys' Rucbv team this season, suffered a shoulder injury in the match against Te Awamutu Rovers on Saturday, which will put him out of action for the rest of the season. The previous Saturday Savers scored two spectacular tries against Cambridge to give his team the lead in the Stag Trophy competition This is Savers' first year in football since ho played for Auckland Grammar School. He gained n place in the Waikato team in its first match against Aucklatich i

One of the most enthusiastic supporters of all branches of amateur sport and a man with a fine record as a sports administrator in Hamilton is ; Mr. A. .J. Den/., who has returned to j Hamilton from Taumarunui. Mr. Den/., ] who is the father of A. J. Den/., the j former South Auckland sprint cham- ! pion, and L. Den/., who captained the ; Hamilton representative Rngbv team ! in its last match, is again a familiar figure at Rugby Park every Saturday. Members of the Hamilton Amateur Athletic Club are also pleased (o see Air. Dcir/. back, as in the past he has been one of the keenest supporters and most willing helpers of that body. A. H.Wright, who replaced J. Dick as wing-threequarter in the All Black team now in Australia, is a member of the well-known Wellington Rugby football family. His father, Mr. H. R. Wright, played for Petonc in 1903 and represented Wellington and Wellington Province from 1903 to 1907. The eldest son is Max. a Wellington representative forward in 1934 and 1935, who was picked for the New Zealand trials in the latter year, lie is now in Auckland with the New Zealand Shipping Company. Ross Wright, fullback for the Wellington College Old Boys' Club team, was a Hawke's Bay representative in 1934. His younger brother, Robert, was a primary schools' representative in 1934. which was thus a great football year for the family.

.Misfortune has recently befallen Australian sportswomen. Two members of the Australian lawn tennis team, Misses Nancye Wynne and Dorothy Stevenson, received word during the Wimbledon "tournament of family bereavements. The deat.li had occurred in Sydney of Miss Wynne's mother, while Miss Stevenson had [ost her only brother in Melbourne. Just prior to taking part in a match at Oamaru. Miss M. Horsburgh, a member of the Australian badminton team which was touring New Zealand, received cabled advice of the death of her mother. Although greatly shocked and unnerved, she kept faith with the public by fulfilling her part in the evening's programme. Miss Horsburgh's defeat in the singles was only to be expected under the circumstances, but a few nights later in the test match at Wellington she defeated the player who had previously beaten her, Miss M. Kerr, of Otago. \