UNSEEMLY WRANGLE BREWS

NZ Truth, Issue 1256, 26 December 1929, Page 12

UNSEEMLY WRANGLE BREWS

Associations Do Not See Eye To Eye With j Wellington Over Dates (By "N.Z. Truth's" Special Tennis Writer). Intervention by the New Zealand Lawn Tennis Association may be needed to end the wrangle which has developed between Wellington and Auckland L.T.A.'s on the question of the Wilding. Shield.

OMINOUS signs of the intention of the parent body to step into the field are contained m its suggestion, made perfectly politely to Wellington, that the capital city folk cut their tournament by one day and get ahead with the playing of the Anthony Wilding Memorial Shield. Challenged by Auckland for this trophy, the blue riband of Dominion tennis, and by South Canterbury for the Nunnelley Casket, hitherto undisputed trophy for women's teams, gift of Miss Kathleen Nunnelley, thirteen times national champion, at the end of last season, Wellington has embarked on a policy which is not exactly conciliatory. Provincial tournament dates granted "Wellington are from the usual Anniversary Day (January 21) to January 25. On January 27, which is a Monday, the first national tourney to be held at Miramar Grounds will begin. CLASHING DATES Auckland and South Canterbury desired to play the challenge matches on dates immediately prior to the New Zealand meeting, that is, January 24 and 25. Wellington points to the fact that this means, an invasion of its tournament dates and suggests January 18 and 20. Wilding Shield rules, wriich govern both contests, prevent the defending association from varying the suggested date more than seven days before or after the dates' proposed. Putting forward the contests is impracticable, since the New Zealand meeting is timed to conclude about February 2. Thus Wellington has put the dates back a week. While this makes possible the playing, of the challenges with a minimum of inconvenience to Wellington, it makes it almost impossible for the Auckland and South Canterbury bodies to get away, representative teams. There is every reason to believe that t'he N.Z.L.T.A. does not see eye to eye with the local association m the matter. The suggestion of the controlling authority is that Wellington should put its tournament on a day earlier and finish it two days sooner. This would provide Friday and Saturday, the suggested dates, free for the contests. The New Zealand Association does not believe that the- Wellington meeting will attract a large entry and thinks the course eminently possible. This would dispose of Wellington's main objection to the proposed dates — that they are impossible because on those days the finals of the provincial fixtures will be staged and m them there will be engaged the leading Wellington players who should be picked for defence of the shield and casket. NUNNELLEY CASKET The conviction of the N.Z.B.T.A. that the provincial field will not be a. big one also makes it awkward for the local administration to avoid taking up the gauntlet on the dates proposed. For the conviction is well founded on experience. Not many leading players are likely to flock to Wellington intent on burning themselves out before the play begins.

It will be extremely difficult for South Canterbury to send a team here at any other time than . during national championship. Finance must enter into the matter, and Wellington should realise that. To. the observer the suggestion of the parent body seems eminently desirable. If Wellington fails to fall into line the association will be m danger of being branded as lacking m sportsmanship. More than that, there may come an ultimatum from the N.Z.L.T.A. which will humiliate Wellington before the tennis world.