ITEMS OF INTEREST

Southland Times, Issue 22215, 6 January 1934, Page 13

ITEMS OF INTEREST

PARS FROM EVERYWHERE. WHAT THE EXCHANGES SAY. At a meeting in Melbourne on December 18, F. Woodhouse eclipsed his Victorian pole vault record of 12ft 6Jin by Jin in a practice vault. * ♦ ♦ *

Jean Borotra, the famous French lawn tennis star, has taken up golf. “The worst thing about golf,” declared Borotra, “is that you have such a lot of time to kick yourself for a bad stroke before you play the next one. In tennis you play again immediately, and forget your stupidities. One good point about golf,” continued Borotra, “is that you can do without a partner, and even if you have a bad one you can play well yourself.”

Mr S. E. Polden, who has been elected president of the Irish Rugby Football Union, played for his country before and after the war. He was first “capped” as scrum half against Wales in 1913, and his last match was against France in 1920, when G. V. Stephenson was making his first appearance in international football. Mr Polden has been connected with the Clontarf Club for nearly a quarter of a century, and Clontarf have not been beaten this season.

A wrestling match at the Brisbane Stadium between Walter Browning and the Finn, Martin Bucht, ended when Bucht was knocked out at the ringside by the leading boxer Bobby Delaney. As Bucht was unable to continue Browning was declared the winner. In the fifth round Bucht tossed Browning over the ropes, and jumping after him attacked him. Delaney jumped into the fray and knocked Bucht out.

The headmasters of the Tasmanian public schools, following on a doctor’s opinion regarding rowing by schoolboys, have decided to seek other authoritative rulings on the subject, and have referred the question of schoolboy racing to the Tasmanian branch of the British Medical Association. Even if the B.M.A. countenances the continuation of the races, it will probably be found that the masters will decide that none under the age of 18 will be allowed to race, and then only after having undergone a rigid medical examination.

Amateur athletes from England, the United States, and New Zealand will compete against an Australian team in Melbourne on January 2G and 28 and February 2, 1935, if the plans of the Victorian Amateur Athletic Association are approved (says a Melbourne writer). The secretary of the V.A.A.A. (Mr H. R. Weir) said at a meeting of the council last week that the cost would be about £3OOO. The Sports Committee of the Centenary Celebrations Council had already approved of the contest, and application would be made to the ?.mateur Athletic Union of Australia.

Foreign countries, since England recaptured the Davis Cup, have been more keen than ever on getting English tennis stars to give exhibitions. The latest nation to make a call for Britain’s best is Denmark, who have sent a pressing invitation to the L.T.A. to send a team to Copenhagen in January or February to compete against the full forces of Denmark. They make one stipulation, however, that F. J. Perry and H. W. Austin must be included. As Perry is not due back in England until March, the probabilities are the L.T.A. will turn down the invitation.

The world of first-class Rugby will be all the poorer now that lan Smith, one of the greatest Rugby three-quar-ters that has ever donned a jersey for Scotland, has finally decided to retire (says an overseas exchange). He had been chosen for every match played by Scotland since he first appeared for his country in 1924, and he is the possessor of thirty-two caps. The fastest wing three-quarter in the game in the Old Country since the war has malformed feet. The story is told that when he visited an orthopaedic surgeon who was unaware of his identity he was asked: “Can you walk normally?” His first initiation into football was at Winchester, where he was a Soccer player of great ability. When he went up to Oxford, however, he was persuaded to try his hand at Rugby, and quickly became an adept at the game.

The official ranking of the Lawn Tennis Association, England, for the period from April last to date shows that for the first time Perry has been placed No. 1, ahead of H. W. Austin, who is ranked No. 2 (says an exchange). Then follow Lee, Hughes, J. C. Gregory’, and Wilde. The inclusion of Gregory so high in the list, considering that he has played so little in big tournaments this season, calls for comment, but as the results of the inter-county matches are taken into consideration, probably he has justified his position. Otherwise four out of the first five ranked men are now with us here, and were it not for the absence of Austin this would give critics an excellent opportunity of comparing the strength of the two countries. The remaining positions are filled by A. R. Avory 7, H. K. Lester 8, C. R. D. Tuckey 9, J. S. Oliff 10, E. C. Peters 11, R. K. Tinkler 12. The women’s list is as follows: 1 Miss D. Round, 2 Miss P. Scri/en, 3 Miss B. Nuthall, 4 Miss K. Stammers, 5 Mrs King, 6 Mrs Whittingstall, 7 Miss M. Heeley, 8 Miss J. Ridley, 9 Miss N. M. Lyle, 10 Miss E. M. Dearman, 11 Mrs Pitman, 12 Miss F. James.

For the Sullivan Award in America, the most prized athletic trophy in existence, eight track and field men have been named. This award is given annually to the man or woman whose conduct has done most to uplift amateur sport in America. The track and field men are: G. Cunningham, miler; B. Bonthron, the man who raced J. Lovelock in the memorable recordbreaking mile; R. Metcalfe, Olympic finalist and probably the fastest amateur in the world to-day; J. Morris and G. Hardin, hurdles; P. McDonald, the veteran shot-putter and hammer thrower who won an Olympic title twenty-one years ago; K. Brown, pole vaulter; and C. De Mar, the veteran among Marathon runners. The best runner is not always the best champion from a sporting viewpoint and the .awarding of this trophy entails great thought.

T. C. Lowry, former captain of New Zealand’s cricket teams, retired from representative play the season before last. He still takes a keen interest in the game in Taihape, however, and he travels twenty miles each way every Saturday afternoon in order to assist the Taihape schoolboys’ eleven. This comprises two masters, Lowry, and eight pupils. The schoolboys greatly appreciate Lowry’s presence and coaching (says the Auckland Herald). Lowry was responsible for a great performance in a recent match against United. The latter batted first and made 80, School being dismissed for 62. In its second innings United was disposed of for 50. School was thus left with 69 to get for an outright win, with but 18min to play. Lowry opened with Schulze, one of the masters, and when the firstnamed faced the bowling it was striking 6.15. So rapidly did Lowry score, however, that at 6.29 p.m.—one minute before time —the winning hit had been made. Out of the 69 runs Lowry claimed 67 not out and Schulze 2 not out. Schoolboys and spectators alike were delighted with the forceful batting and rapid scoring.

Mr Bruce Small has received a cable message from his brother, Mr Frank Small, in Paris, that Andre Leducq and Antonin Mague, two French riders, will probably visit Australia for races during the centenary year (says the Australasian). Leducq, who won the Tour de France twice, is the idol of the French sporting public. Mague won the Tour de France in 1931.

All sporting news is now banned in the Osservatore Romano, official organ of the Vatican, and in other Rome clerical newspapers, in accordance with orders from the Vatican. The Pope is absolutely opposed to all sport, especially boxing. He has never granted an audience to a boxer, and even refused to receive Paolino Uzcudun, the Spanish heavyweight, as a pilgrim. Two' thousand Spanish pilgrims to the Vatican were also forbidden to attend the fight between Paolino and Camera.

“Tiger” Stevenson captain of West Ham speedway team, has accepted a challenge of Benny Lee, the professional roller skating champion of Great Britain, to a race on a skating rink. Stevenson will •ride a motor cycle and Lee will be on roller skates. “A short time ago I took part in a similar event and won,” Stevenson told a Press representative. “Afterwards Benny Lee asked me to take him on, and I accepted the challenge, but owing to my New Zealand engagements I was unable to race then. It was a surprise when I heard that Lee still wants to race, but once again I am unable to accept this challenge as I am going to Australia. When, however, I return in the spring I shall certainly do so.”

When Bob Pearce defeated _ Ted Phelps in the world’s championship at Toronto recently he was proclaimed by the Canadians as the world’s greatest sculler, even a greater sculler than Ned Hanlan, a Canadian, ever was. Pearce is claimed to be one of the best we have seen, but old-time scullers and followers of the sport will not have it that Ned Hanlan was the finest sculler before him. Though the Canadian was five times champion of the world, Bill Beach, who is still very much alive, clearly demonstrated on the Parramatta in 1884 and again on the Nepean in 1887 that he was the better sculler. Others argue that H. E. Searle was the fastest sculler who ever sat in a boat. Searle, after beating Peter Kemp, who twice defeated Hanlan, went to England, where he retained the world’s title against W. O’Connor, of Toronto, on the Putney to Mortlake course. While returning, after this match, Searle died. Bob Pearce may be the world’s greatest, but Hanlan cannot be accepted as the greatest of the past.

The proposal to stage an inter-Em-pire school sports meeting next year as the public schools’ contribution to the success of Melbourne’s centenary is gradually taking concrete form (says the Sydney Referee). Already Mr N. E. Brookes, chairman of the special committee, has received a cable from Canada that a team of twelve schoolboys will be sent. Mr Brookes is in touch with the proper quarters in England, South Africa, New Zealand, India, and the other States of the Commonwealth, and replies are expected in the near future. The cost will be £3OOO, part of which will be obtained from the Centenary Council and the rest from donations from old boys of the public schools.

Representatives of the committee of the Henley Regatta Association have had a conference with the members of the Melbourne Centenary Sports Committee regarding a proposal to invite an English crew to compete at the Centenary Henley regatta. The centenary authorities, while they were unable to offer any financial assistance, expressed their enthusiastic approval of the project, and the president of Henley (Sir George Fairbairn) promised that he would communicate with his brother, Mr Steve Fairbairn, a noted rowing coach in England, to ascertain if one of the English clubs or one of the Oxford or Cambridge crews would be willing to visit Australia. Preferably an eight-oared crew would be welcomed. It was suggested that the fixture extend over several days on the lines of the Henley-on-Thames regatta, and that in addition to an English crew competing it was proposed to hold a race in which the champion eights from all the States should meet.