Hockey.

Southland Times, Issue 19514, 13 May 1922, Page 10

Hockey.

(By

“Circle.”)

The first of the season’s fixtures were played on Saturday last under conditions which for the first time in many years, might be considered something like satisfactory. The weather was good but the principal improvement was shown in the playing areas, which have benefited considerably in the result of their having been used for cricket during the summer months. In patches, however, the grass is still long and the ground rough and the Association should take steps to have it placed in order. It was also noticeable that no note were used although last season the Hockey Association went to the expense of purchasing nets for club and other fixtures. The nete were required, but having gone to the expense of procuring them the Association is not justified in leaving them out of commission. In all likelihood practically al! the competition matches will be played on Queen’s Park and it should not be a difficult matter for the Association to make some suitable arrangement whereby the nets could be erected before the commencement of play each Saturday. The young ladies of Colac, have commenced hockey, and have formed a club known as the Kia Ora Hockey Club. For a long time past observant early travellers by tramway cars or per boot on the King’s highway to and from East Invercargill have noted that a number of attractive young ladies daily foregathered in Yarrow Street, east, awaiting conveyance to their place of employment, and all deeply engrossed in the hobbies cf various kinds, useful and otherwise, from the perusal of the latest novel to manufacture of the most up-to-date knitting or crochetwork designs. During the past few days, however, it has been a case of the old order changeth, and curly, pigtailed, or bobbed heads may now be seen bent studiously over a number of dinky little books, handy wee volumes that can be carried almost anywhere and brought into action at a moment’s notice, suspiciously like unto those known to contain the Rules of the ancient game of hockey. The New Zealand Association intends making every endeavour to bring over a team of Australian representatives this season, and are at present endeavouring to arrange finance, and are ascertaining the Australian ideas on this subject. From all accounts hockey in Australia is on a very good footing compared with the pessimistic accounts which are circulated about the game there, and from which a somewhat erroneous public opinion here has arisen. Mr Gracey, recently from Australia, attended the meeting of the New Zealand Association, and said that quite a lot of interest was being shown in hockey there. The association is very anxious to bring about the match. Another matter of great interest was the arranging at the New Zealanl Association meeting of a conference in Wellington, as early as possible, of referees from all over the Dominion, with the object of establishing a New Zealand Hockey Referees’ Association in Wellington. Hockey is rapidly becoming popular among themselves and not infrequently and almost every township of any pretensions can boast a club. Another was recently formed at Colac, while Tuatapere, Lumsden, Otautau and several other places have had clubs for the last two seasons. These latter centres have carried on under very great difficulties and although the town clubs last season arranged several matches with the Otautau players among themselves and not infrequently against men’s teams drawn from the footballers there. It is time that the Association gave more consideration to clubs in the country districts and took some steps to encourage the game and to place it on a more satisfactory footing. It might be impossible at present to form a Western District sub-union, but the Association should be able, during the season, to arrange matches between town and Western District clubs. The Winton team has not far to travel to Lumsden and it would not be out of place for the Association to suggest that whenever possible the Winton girls should arrange matches with the Lumsden followers of the sport. The Association might also invite country clubs *to play matches against the town teams on June 3. The rose and blank banner of the latest recruits to hockey ranks will be unfurled this afternoon when the Rosedale Mill H. C. representatives will make their first public appearance on the playing fields of the city. At the Gore High School last week a meeting was held in connection with a proposal to form a Gore Ladies’ Hockey Club. About 20 were present, and the meeting was a most enthusiastic one. After considerable discussion it was decided that a Gore Club be formed, and that those present canvass the town for further members. Anomer meeting will be held next week to appoint office-bearers, and establish the club on a proper footing. The finances of the Association are quickly being weakened and of the £3OO raised by the carnival two seasons ago less than £lOO remains. There is some talk of sending a team either on tour or to the tourna meat this season and if this is done it will leave the Association almost penniless. The carnival gave the Association a good start but it has not been taken advantage of and the short-sighted policy being followed will surely lead to a falling away in the interest of the players. The Association has fewer means at its disposal of “raising the wind” than almost any other sports body, but other bodies find carnivals an effective means of doing so and there is some truth in the old saying that “what’s sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander.” It was a strange coincidence that the two first-grade goals of the season, in connection with the town competition, were scored by sisters. Miss A. Rabbidge, c-f the Union Club, was the first to score in the match against St. Mary’s, while Miss P. Rabbidge scored Collegiate’s first goal against Winton. Although defeated by a substantial margin by Union on Saturday, the St. Mary’s girls are particularly keen, and it would not be surprising to notice a rapid improvement in the general standard of the play. They have, I understand, been searching high and low for someone, who would be willing to give them some coaching, but so iajhaws net met with any

There are several alterations in the Winton team this season, the most noticeable absentee being Miss L. Horner, at centreforward. “ Miss Morton, who distinguished herself as goal-keeper against the English Ladies’ Team in 1914, should be a valuable asset to the team, and it was perhaps fortunate for Collegiate that they met Winton in the first match of the season. Miss Morton has been away from the game for a few seasons and it will probably take a little time before she returns to her old form. Collegiate has a very strong team again this season and has made a find in Miss Wilson, who has taken Miss Godward’s place at right-wing, Miss Godward being associated with Miss Burt at full-back. Miss Wilson is a young player but possesses a surprisingly good idea of the game and knows how to put her ideas into execution. The match between Union and Winton to-day should be an interesting one, and the teams should be fairly evenly matched. Union has a good scoring forward line, which has been strengthened by the inclusion of Miss A. Rabbidge. This season the Association is not allowed to mark out the lines in the ordinary way with the result that before each match the lines have to be marked with whiting. This takes a considerable time to do and if the position is pointed out to the Reserves Committee, some more suitable arrangements may be made. It was pleasing to notice the increase in the number of spectators at last week’s fixtures, and it is an indication that the game is becoming more popular. Very little of this is due to the Association, which has done very little, if anything, to bring the matches under the notice of the public.