WOMEN’S HOCKEY

Southland Times, Issue 22948, 22 July 1936, Page 14

WOMEN’S HOCKEY

TO-DAY’S GAMES AT GORE (Bv “Half-back.”) To-day—Southland-Eastern B curtainraiser to the Eastern-Fiji match at Gore. July 25 —Southland Association’s seven-a-side tournament at Queen s Park. August I—Possibles-Probables trial at Queen’s Park. August B—Southland-South Otago at Milton. August 15—Southland-Northern match at Dipton. Always a popular fixture, the annual seven-a-side tournament of the Southland Association will take place at Queen’s Park on Saturday afternoon. Representative entries have been received and some bright games should be provided for the spectators. It is unfortunate that the strongest Southland team could not have been assembled to play Eastern B in the curtain-raiser game at Gore this afternoon, but several players could not secure the necessary leave. The Maroon backs, on paper, seem a safe division and everything will depend on the forwards —six players who have never played in a representative match before. But the girls are young and keen and there is no reason why they should not make a good fight. Whatever the result the game should be of assistance as a further trial and it may well be that some of these younger players may, by their showing, justify further consideration.

At the conclusion of the main game the Southland team has been invited to tea by the Eastern Association. According to Press reports South Otago has decided to enter a team for the big tourney this year at Blenheim, (writes “Sticks” in The Dunedin Evening Star). As the fares alone run close on £IOO this young association is to be congratulated on its keenness, though there is some truth in the remark of one of the local players: “When they’ve had as many years raising fifties and hundreds they’ll find it gets hardereach year.” Well, yes, so it does. At the same time “Sticks” hopes that both South Otago and Otago will be represented this year at the New Zealand tourney. A rule of the New Zealand Association states that in tournament matches all skirts worn shall be at least 12 inches off the ground. This rule no doubt applies to ordinary matches as well. One of the players in the TownSouthern trial last week must have gone very close to offending against this provision. In view of the close approach of the tournament, an early start will be made with representative practices for Town players in the running for the touring team. Attendance at these practices will be insisted upon. Town v. Southern. The Town v. Southern trial match last Saturday was valuable in that it provided a much more reliable guide to the real capabilities of several aspirants for the Dominion tournament team than could possibly be obtained in club games. An altogether wrong impression of a girl’s play is often gained when she is playing either in a strong club team opposed to a weaker one or vice versa. Accordingly, the trial proved a somewhat searching test and certain players failed to measure up to expectations. Southern certainly deserved its win and some of the more promising players from that district are getting a further try-out to-day in the Southland team to meet Eastern B. Another trial is set down for August 1, after which the team to play South Otago will be announced, but several changes will no doubt be made over the next three or feur weeks before the fifteen finally chosen to make the trip to Blenheim will be announced. Various alterations were made in the Town team at half-time, some of the players whose work was better known to the selector being withdrawn in order that other girls in the -running might be tried out. These fixtures over the next few weeks are being regarded as primarily in the nature of trials with a view to the best possible team being ultimately assembled. Certain Town players were disappointing last week. If they hope to warrant further consideration they will have to give vastly improved performances in the forthcoming matches. Southern has s.me likely material and will challenge strongly for positions in the team to represent the province at the tournament. New Zealand Test Team.

An ex-Otago player in Wellington writes to “Sticks,” of the Dunedin Star Sports Special, as follows: “It is somewhat unusual to have nine names submitted by the provincial selector, and find that not one of these was included in the New Zealand test team. But one player whom the local selector evidently did not deem up to the required standard appears in the test team. I noticed, too, that Otago had nominated only two players. Are there really only two players in Dunedin who are up to representative standard? I’m enclosing the list of Wellington nominees which may be interesting.” “Sticks,” in reply, writes: “I feel that it was evidently unlucky for the nine Wellington nominees that two of the New Zealand selectors reside in Wellington; otherwise some of the nine would surely have found a place ‘on reputation,’ as that must have been the method of selection. So far as ‘Sticks’ is aware the New Zealand selectors have not seen any Otago, Canterbury, Ashburton, or Marlborough players in action, yet all these centres have at least one player in the team. Certainly it is a bit early in the season for selectors to fine down to the best eleven, but surely some of the centres have a few younger players up to New Zealand standard. Even in Dunedin, without counting either Miss Mackie or Miss Burt, there are a few who are quite on a par and who might have got a place had more names been sent on. At the same time, one must not confuse provincial standard with New Zealand standard, and probably the selector, Mr Ireland, has a mind only on the very best for New Zealand honours. and that would account for two nominations only. ‘S+icks’ is of the opinion that where effiht or nine players have been nominated either the selector has a ‘guid conceit of hisself’ (or his players), or he nominates many in the hope a few may get in: of course, there may be a district with super players in it. but ‘Sticks’ has never seen them.”