GOING TO MOVE AT LAST

NZ Truth, Issue 1301, 20 November 1930, Page 16

GOING TO MOVE AT LAST

Tennis

N.Z.L.T.A. Adopts "Truth's" Suggestion Of Wilding Shield Control

SMALL UNITS TO AMALGAMATE (From "N.Z. Truth's" Special Tennis Writer. V The most important proposal made by the New Zealand Lawn Tennis Association since the decision to withdraw from alliance with Australia m the Davis Cup will await delegates at the Council meeting next week.

THE question, vital to the interests of .tennis m the Dominion, concerns the withdrawal of the Wilding Memorial Shield and Nunnelley Casket matches from the control of the province and assumption of responsibility by the New Zealand Association. The news that this course is to be advocated by the governor's of the game is the best that has come from the somewhat secretive N.Z.L.T.A. m seasons. This course, which has been consistently advocated by "N.Z. Truth." must be taken sooner or later if the endless manoeuvrings of the past years are to be on the shelf. From the point of view of the public, the step would mean that the Wilding Shield matches would be listed as coming events, not tossed about until a sudden announcement is made that finality is reached. Under the present rules, the holders of the trophies settle the question 'of suitability of dates, though they are not supposed to vary them more than a limited period either way. The pleasant game played through each time a challenge is lodged sees both challenger and holder suggesting dates which, not infrequently, finds them unable to agree. Under the rules, this deadlock is supposed to be settled by the New Zealand Association, but In practice what happens is that the challenger Is so anxious to get a match and preserve good feeling that fresh dates ■ are suggested and the wrangle goes on for weeks, while valuable time slips by. In the end, as likely as not, there is no match. Worst of all, the present lengthy diplomacy leaves no chance of a defeated holder being given the opportunity to attempt to regain the cup at a later date m the same playing year. The only way out of this mess is to change the control and hand the reins to an impartial body. But the New Zealand L..T.A. has gone further still, for it has devised a scheme whereby the competition will be made fully representative. I The competitions for the two big trophies m the tennis world will be broadly

national. . The Dominion has been' divided into nine competing areas, the principal being Auckland, Wellington, Canterbury and the Maori Assocjation, with smaller associations grouped together as North Auckland, Thames Valley and Waikato, which are Number One j group, Taranaki, Wanganui and Manai watu (Number 3), Poverty Bay, East Coast. Hawkes Bay and Wairarapa (Number 4), Marlborough, Nelson and West Coast (Number 6), and South Canterbury, North Otago, Otago and Southland (Number 8), These areas are to enter teams of four players for each trophy, and the whole question of the champion men's and Women's provinces is to be settled at one meeting m a solid week of tennis. For this purpose, the New Zealand Association is opening competitions accounts for the two trophies, and future meetings will be financed out of the profits on the events. Sums are to be transferred to the accounts at once, when approval of the scheme has been given. The controlling body, however, has now the hardest part to do, and that is to convince the major associations that the change is desirable. Some of the larger bodies are reluctant to lose control of the matches and others are afraid that this is a move preparatory to declaring Wellington the permanent home of the Trophy Tennis Week. These two convictions will make them fight against ,the proposal to the last ditch. With the smaller bodies, however, things are different. Unless they consent to be put m the pocket of their bigger brothers, they will see that they have everything to gain by an opportunity, to enter a team for the two trophies each year, and that they are not strong enough to do it alolie - ' • J i-X, J Thus the grouping system is justified and the change of control , will be all m favor of the smaller men. These associations, too, should, have no fears such as will stir m the breasts of Auckland land Canterbury, so their vote should be | a commonsense one.