HOCKEY.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 20706, 2 May 1929, Page 4

HOCKEY.

By Centee Half,

’ The hockey season was opened on Satur# day, when every available ground ™» occupied. .The games, being, the first ..off . the' year, cannot" really be relied upon-tef give an accurate- indication of what: the" winters sport will bring forth* but. at tlie, same time, one cannot, refrain from thinking that the relative strength; of the various sides -is rather well,- if approximately, summed up by Saturday’s score*.Technical Old Boys, University A, and Albany all put up good exhibitions, the meeting of the .first two being a good, fast Struggle; It cart be confidently lanticipate'A Jhat, good -games will be witnessed when Technical and'Albany and University A' and Albany meet. ... • School Old Boys play so well against University B. The latter team does: not seem to be very, strong at present. , Edson played a good game for his team, but his efforts were .of no avail against the, strong .Old; Boys’ onslaught. '. -On what has been seen so far, it is adifficult matter to discuss' the ■ players severally and, in any event, that is -a, subject which is better left until it is seen just what each, man is coing to do, • < Players, especially newcomers -to the game, are urged once again to-make them* selves familiar with the rules before; the competition games are commenced, par' ticularly the offside rule and- that cor* earning obstruction.. By so doing,’.-they \vill save themselves a lot of trouble on, the field, and will greatly assist’ the reterees in. the conduct of the matches.- In' tms connection, the writer would support the plea of. the referees ■ for assistancefrom senior players whose .teams; have abye . (says a ■ Wellington writer). . By offering their: services for early, lowergrade matches, they will -be lightening the burden of the referees, whose wort ■this ..season with--, additional teams pro-” “I - exceptionally arduous.—These excellent sentiments are equally applioable to local hockey, . * ; • AUSTRALIANS* VISIT. "■ : The following, report; of !tlie: ’annuat meeting of the New Zealand Association was published ;by ? the Lyttelton .Times,' It gives, interesting, news regarding this 1 P r gP9 s ed Australian team's visit: ‘ * ■■ ~fT a e * iß e! r etary .Down) 'Reported that,negotiations had been, ur prof’ gress for a visrt from an'AnstraUan ieatet ; Rations" had.been 1 , £ P r ?, rioE al. and favourable i om . tb . e , following places had been ■ received;—Auckland, Otago, Wanganui, Taranaki, ’Wairarapa, WaibHm -h* Ufifayourable' re? J P“ e ? “ad been received from Wellington" j Manawatu, and Nelson. »v emiigroa,. j , < .H. Sampson said/that Canterbury ! Rn!-W t TT e ' y d ?P e n<ient on the Canterbury I cr , c %y said that the' tour would 1 ' te “ e . .the latter part of July walit^^f^-K^ 6 - 4 us^‘. a -llan,. authorities te ‘“mediately « a “,;?as wanted or not: An assurance " Tlie chairman saifi that he .'wbttid veiT sorry if the tour cime off ? ft °«t- An English rS team 'would.,be touring New; Zealandt&rf' year, • whereas this; year : was practically dear, as far-ras tourp from oversea' sideF were concerned.: ■" The 'secretary pointed out that; th6y*‘ were very- anxious' to 'have the team 'here ■ this year for the reason that 'am ended--vonr was- being made to,; have, a* big. Empire tournament in Sydney in,two years’ tnnel cA frofii; New -Zealand wouHr be due in Ausjjrsha- J nt-ttW i -*ifii&*ahd:cod* consequently participate.' ■■■ = ~, l. , r R-T. (Hawke’s Bay) moved teat afi Australian team be-lnvited to Visit New Zealand, this year, upon the assurance .that, a,, team of, a, high-,' standards votes to 4. '•■ ■. ■■ • :' ; \>, ■‘‘ IE was - decided to circularise. minor associations; on the Question ’ of ‘ arrangiiitf 1 a jnateh against the visitors.’.' ’ '• - Tt is' also interesting to note that Au^- ■ ft}. 1 ? 1 : sending a team to Fiji in August, 1 anA it. is-desired by the Australian Asso(nation that tbe playera be* given an oppor-’ . tumty . of touring ■ the 7 Dominion' hand.. There will probably be only One test match,', for which -Otago,'Auckland, and Wanganui • have ;already: applied. - >'■ 1 - ' LADIES* . HOCKEY. .’ The question is often asked-here why' hockey in the north seems stronger than it is.locally.,. Perhaps the following para--graph from an Auckland paperwul help to supply an answer:—The marked success of the stall run at the Winter. Show, is referred to the annual report of the I Ladies association enter into business,'ahd-.-avetyv profitable undertaking, this proved to be,” it states. ”In ■ order to raise funds tti' finance touring teams,'it was decided that the association rent ,a, stall; at the Winter Show and sell cakes and sweets; each club undertaking to' stock and staff the''stall for a certain time. The total expenses in' thik connection: amounted to 'til 18s, afidlll6 total Vteeipta Mi Os Si; mating th4' total profit of £32 2s 3d. - This - effort greatly ! assisted'--1$ the sending Out Of*' teams to sub-aesociationa .’’—Again, hah anything of this sort ever been ni Dunedin?—Toward, the end of last-sea. son the Referees' Association (Auckland-)! offered to give [ lectures on-- the game. ofhockey to women players, but it was thought advisable to leave, acceptance of the offer over'until this season.*lt tho .- , offer is still open the’ Ladies’ Association hopes.to secure large, audiences for -thn lectures. ~. . - . * - • a , The off-side rule is one of the most dim- , cult to understand, and beginners, as welL 'as more advanced-players, often transgress; through of meaning of . the! * rule (says',.;" Critic ” in . the Dominion) “Critic” has just to hand ah interestimr' . view-of . the off-side rule by Miss M: k Knighton, president of tlie National €&&. mittee on-’women’s athletics, American 4 Physical Education Association. . She : says(; that a player can never be offside-if sHn -is. ; behind the ball —whefi the;oppoii’ehts*nave last played the ball—when she in-ih ; her own behalf bn the'field a gokl'i kick is taken, or a corner wheV two .defenders are between her and their own goal. Any player who is . ahead iof the ball is in dangcr of being offsfide' Tf the players can realise the infportance' of staying in Tine with the ball, and *6t. running _forward to wait for it, the dito*gers of offside play . can be-eliminated,'-and it need not be considered a complin cated rule. . With- so'.'many new "girls’. taking lip hockey this season* feels sure this explanation will be'of-i in-’ estimable value; -■ ■..•■ y. Hookey is l booming in • Canterbury , among the ladies, due, no doubt, to tho’ success of the Canterbury' representative! team, at the 1928 Dominion tournament:' When entries; closed- the secretary, of; the' Ladies.’ Association: announced‘at;a-meet* iiig of the Management Committee ■ that 7 32 teams had entered the competitions,’an’ increase compared with last Bea* son. The senior A competition has drawn nine teams, senior H-nine, and junior I-l. Miss Mabel, Bryant. : “ wonder” hockey player; who-first.played'for England away back ini 1901, is still one. of the Old Country’s leading players; MisS i Bryant, it will be remembered, captainedthe All-England ladies’.'team that toured Australia in 102,7. . Having . accomplished 20 years’ eerviee on the hockey English: • player’holds a unique recordi* • During- that period ; 'she -has represented England in international matches on over; a-dozen-occasions;. .' •---v