GENERAL NEWS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVII, Issue 23592, 28 February 1940, Page 5

GENERAL NEWS

PENNANT BOWLS RUGBY UNION SECRETARY WORLD'S YACHTING TITLE The third round of the Auckland Bowling Centre's pennant competition, postponed from December 2 to last Saturday, had a further setback when, as on tlio previous' occasion, heavy rain made play impossible. The round will now bo decided on Saturday Meek. Mr. E. G. Mitchell lias been appointed secretory of the Canterbury Rugby union in succession to Mr. I. O. McGillivray. Mr. Mitchell is a member of a well-known football family. His father nnd uncles were all prominent players in Otago and Southland, and a cousin is the All Black back N. A. Mitchell.

A. challenge race for the world's 18footer sailing championship will probably be held in 1941. Mr. S. Higgins, a member of the crew of the boat City Tatts, said this at the New South Wales 18-Footer League's recent meeting. ''Mr. A. Norton, the owner of City latts, intends to take the boat to New Zealand next February and challenge Manu, the holder." he said.

Tho annual pairs tournament of the Auckland Bowling Centre will bo commenced next Tuesday. A record entry of over 130 teams has been received, which reflects the great interest taken by local bowlers in open competitions.

A loss of between £IOO and £2OO will be shown on the Australian team's Davis Cup tour. This is.due to the Merion Cricket Club spending £7OOO on temporary stands for the challenge match. Australia is debited with half of tho cost.

A unanimous recommendation to carry on with tho Soccer championship competitions as usual this year was made by the management committee of the Wellington Football Association last week, with the proviso that the decision should bo subject to roview if conditions warrant it.

Members of the Australian Golf Club recently had to tee their balls on the fairway. The committee took this drastic step, to keep as much of the fairways' turf intact as possible until rain came. Such an expedient has never before had to be resorted to in the 40-odd years' history of tho club. The course is laid out in practically t>ure saijd.

"Staying power" is a quality that is a contributing factor toward success in all sports, but in cricket the term is synonymous with "skill," says a Dunedin writer. The game in Dunedin provides no better example of this truth than the performances of C. F. \V. Allcott, the former Aueklurider, who has been a mainstay of tho Kaikorai sido this season.

The prestige of Joe Louis has suffered as the result of his fight with Arturo Godoy. No longer can Louis bo regarded as invincible, says the New York limes. The battle glaringly exposed the champion's weakness that ns cannot meot a crouching attack. Louis must explain, to erase from memory, his sloppy, inept effort in what was little better Mian a bar-room brawl: If a future opponent adopts a crouching style and hits harder than Godoy, he may jeopardise Louis' reign.

Alarm at the growth of Sunday football was expressed recently by the secretary of the New South Wales Rushy League. Mr. H. R. Miller. "Three junior leagues conducting Sunday football last season each handled more than .t'2000," said Mr. Miller. "Some of the Sunday players are receiving inor6 money than the first graders playing in the main Saturday competition. Tnere have been cases of. first graders dropping out to play with these juniors on Sundays. The problem will have to bo handled in a business-like way by the leaguo or the grade competition will bo affected."

An intimation that the death occurred on Now Year's Day, in Wales, of "Jim" Jarrett. Welsh representative on tho International Rugby Board of Control, has beon received in Wellington by Mr. J. Preiideville, former president of the Wellington Rugby Union and member of the New Zealand Council. Mr. Prendeville stated that Jarrett was well known to members of the I!>'-M and ILKSS All Blacks who toured tho Old Country, and had always shown tho greatest interest in the game and players of tho Dominion. Jarrett, at the timo of his death, was president of tho Welsh .Referees' Association. A satisfactory featuro of tho Otago representative swimming team's performances at tho national championship meeting was the return to form of Miss Islay Purdie, who, with a win, two seconds and a third, gained 12 points for the province, says a southern critic. On the two occasions that she swam into second place she was just beaten by a toucti and northern critics paid a warm tribute to her magnificent fighting finishes in the 100 and 200 yards women's free-style events. Miss Purdie is not only a fine swimmer, but she has any amount of pluck. For iher, a race is never over until tho finishing line is reached. ' Main interest in the tour of New Zealand by an Australian Universities' athletic side early noxt month will be in tho appearance of the brilliant younsr sprinter Brian Dunn, who is heralded in tho Commonwealth as the finest short-distance man since the days of Jimmy Carlton. Actually, Dunn is not the holder of the New South Wales 100 yards title. He was unable to compete at the recent championships owing to indisposition, the title Coins to another fine runner in Bruce Ryan, bunn. ill liKlu; equalled the Australian record of !) n-5s for the too yards, and Ryan at the recent New South Wales championships got lo within 1-1 Os of that time. Dunn is only of age, 21 days younger than Ryan.

I D. J. Ewert, who won the Now Zealand men's diving championship for the third successive time at the recent national swimming championship at the Riddiford Baths, Wellinirton, is on© of the finest athletes to have attonded Rotorua High School in recent years. It was while ho was still at hipch school. *hero he was captain of the first eloven and first fifteen, that he won his first national diving title. This was at New Plymouth in 1038. He retained his crown at Invercargill last yoar, and last week completed the hattrick." Ewert still retains his interest in field sports, and last winter was captain and first five-eighths of the Rotorua High School Old Boys' fifteen, which won the junior championship.

Mr John Milburn, ' whoso death occurred at Wellington recently, was one of the pioneers of Association football in Otago, andl it was largely through his ofTorts that the Wednesday Association was formed nearly 40 years ago. Then a membor of the Post and graph team, Mr. Milburn was a keen player, and when he ceased to take an activo part in the gain", ho gave good service on the administraUve side. When the Wednesday' Association went out of existence, he was tor a considerable poriod a member of tho Otago Football Association, of which body lie was also chairman for a term. Mr. Milburn also took an active interest in % e Q ' saving, and a quarter of " century ago he was one of tho stalwarts in the sport.

Stan Jenkin, present holder of tho New Zealand middle-weight and liKlit-hcayy-weiglit boxing titles, should, provided hemakca the wc itrht add the welter-weight crown to his belt after his bout with Vic. Caltoiix, of Auckland, at the Petono Rccreatlon Cround early next month, says a Wellington critic. Jenkin for a considerable tune hfis bfien seeking a, match Jn or around Wellington. T ie fact that he will not bo appearing in the city itself does not mutter greatly. 1 hero will be plenty of town enthusiasts at the contest The Oaniarn boy is a former holdor of tho welter crown. Me lost it a year or so ngo when he stepped into the ring over-weight to defend the crown against Neville Mudgway. Mudgway's retirement loft the title vacant.

One of the most successful all-round athletes Otago hns produced in recent years is K. Oi Pilling, who has won titles in various track 1 and field events. Either as a micldledistattee runner or as a hop, step, and jump exponent. Pilling could have gono far hud he chosen to specialise rather than gain proficiency at' a wldo variety of events, i his summer, however, a cartllogo in his leg has given him iroublo and has prevented him from taking an activo part in athletics. But he could not stay out of sport, and so ho turned to cricket. He is playing for TJniversi itys in termed Into tram, and rocontly t°ok six wickets at small cost. From all accounts, he should do well in this game, ono of the many snorts in which he has shown tnnrk'ahiility. Ho intehris returning to athletics when his leg is hotter, but as he hns been appointed to a Position in tho country it may be some time before ho stages his como-back.

Hopes thai thcro would bo a- record number of entries for the Now Zealand golfers' autumn tournament, ntthc Maranul links, Napier, wern more or less shattered when only 18 ptolfors put In an appearance. Since this tournament was "tartcd a Jqw years as?o as an nnnual fixture entries havo improved each year. Tills season it was antlcipnted that nbout 40 professionals would bo competing. Tho war was .largely responsible fnr the big drop in entries. Some time ago Mr, J. n. Mcintosh, secretary of the New Zealand. Professional Golf Association, told nn T-lveninfr Pnst representative that some indication would be pained from the autumn tournament as fo whether the meetincr should bo persevered with In future years with tho war still on. Tt, can be taken for granted now that the present tourney will be the Inst for some years. They are held ostensibly for the purpose of encouraging play among tho younger professionals. If younger players aro absent it Is of liitlo matorial use conducting tno event.