AMATEUR SPORTS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 23166, 12 October 1938, Page 25

AMATEUR SPORTS

OPENING OF SEASON MEETINQ ON LABOUR DAY AUCKLAND CLUB'S PROGRAMME Already running tracks in the Auckland Province are becoming unpleasantly hard for the wearers of spiked shoes. Labour Day is generally accepted as being the commencement of the summer sen son. but now that croKS-coimtry racing has become so popular in the winter, the Labour Day mooting does not have perhaps the same importance as it did a few years ago. Distance men. particularly, feel that they need a spell after months of running through mud and climbing fences. Straight-out track men nowadays have such a big programme ahead <>f them, especially from December to Easter. that thoy are not keen to train seriously- lor Labour Day. Experience lias shown that it is hard to hold form from October until April. The Auckland Amateur Athletic Club once again will conduct the meeting on behalf of the Labour Day committee, j It is always a unique gathering, as it j is firstly a non-charge day. Thus the I public generally is not only free to enter i the Domain, but to also wander about ' the tracks, unless strong steps are taken by officials. For some years athletes had trouble in getting a clear l'Urt. but lately this "picnic style" has been discouraged. The chief event of the day is tho Harry Holland Memorial Cup, a trophy given to perpetuate the memory of the late leader of the Labour Party. It goes to the winner of the two miles steeplechase event, and last year was won by that good distance man. L. R. | Wutters. The steeplechase is seen very ! seldom on a track programme in New j Zealand. Yet it is always included on i the Olympic programme and most ! hinjor athletic nations stage several of these races during the season. A true steeplechase course should include a water jump, besides hurdles and brush fences.

INCREASE OF INTEREBT POSITION* IN COUNTRY CENTRES One is able to say to-day that the biggest feature of amateur athletics is the wonderful increase of interest in country centres. Already Te Puke ami Opotiki are holding evening meetings. Towns never previously associated with athletics now have live, strong clubs. The big meeting held by Te Kuiti at tile end of last season was a great success In spite of the rain. It meant that tile King Country, once a professional stronghold, is at last turning to amateurism. few years ago Hamilton was only a moderately strong club. To-day it is the best in the province, wit-h a huge membership. So strong is it that Auckland City clubs this year will have to fctriye very hard to regain their old supremacv in the sport. ' With just on 1000 competitors taking part ill aMateur athletics, the 19.'58-;39 'summer season can claim the* greatest number in Auckland s history. Strangelj, enough, however, in spite of the numbers, there is rather a lack of individual brilliance. Only three New Zealand champions are in the Auckland Province. C. P. Clegg, javelin thrower, is capable of hurling the spear close to 200 ft. S. J. Wade, the present national mile Champion, is a good man at the "disTaYYce. but lie' TnuSt be considered fortunate in not having to meet V. P. Boot *nd W. A. Pullar at the last championships. Wade is young yet. and may prove to be faster than is believed at present. D. Chadwick. although not a titleholder, is the best high jumper New Zealand has produced. To-day he holds the Dominion record, and is always a dangerous 6ft. contender. The are good. Bowie and Ball are as fast as any in the Dominion, and Joyes and Finlayson are right with them, fit and well. . ~

The ladv athletes are above national class,' and Miss* D. Lnmley is looked upon as a fine sprinter. Miss h. Munro is in a class of her own in the broad jump, and it will be interesting to see how slip fares against Miss Straehan, of the south, this season. Miss M. Mitchell proved by her Kinpire .Games javelin throwing that Dargaville has an excellent exponent of this graceful art. Auckland's distance men seem to lack class, unles J. W. Savidan returns to the track, Matthews and Boot, of Canterbury. have set such a magnificent standard from the 880 yds to three miles that the efforts of northerners look poor. There is consolation in the fact, however, that the two great southerners are. in world, class. Walking should regain its interest if R. Cameron returns to the track. G. Hawkesbnry, who has been 18 months in Fiji, will he out again.

SUBURBAN AREAS F.LLKItSUF. AND PAPAKURA The groat success achieved by the formation of Hubs at Bllerslie unci Papakma lias stimulated interest in suburban districts in that area. It is stated that there is a strong movement now to form still another club, this time at Orakei. This fast-growing area could wcli support such a project. Competitors in the field section are still below standard, but such good work is being done in the fteoondary schools that every hope is entertained that this will soon be rectified. H. K. Urainsbv is still as good as anyone in. tho country in the long jump and hop, step and jump. He lias the ability to record fine leaps when, they are most needed. He can be away from the track for months, and then do better than <JBft. in a championship hop, step and jump. I'ow will forget how he rose to the occasion against .1. P. Metcalfe, of Australia, a few years back. The most encouraging feature of junior athletics this coming season will he the staging of a national junior title meeting. This means that the great number of really high-class secondary school athletes right throughout the Auckland Province will have an insentive outside of actual school events. The president of the Auckland Centre, Mr. H. Ti. Towers, has strived for years at National conferences to have a lullday programme Of junior title events. Auckland this year also leads the way in having a separate programme of ladies' athletic title events, Sandwiched into the senrior champiohship programme during the past, the ladies' events were necessarily limited. Many overseas title events in which lady athletes regularly compete have never been thus encouraged in New Zealand. This year, therefore, should see the beginning of 4 new era in the ladies' section of amateur athletics.