BASKETBALL SEASON ENDS

Southland Times, Issue 22993, 12 September 1936, Page 20

BASKETBALL SEASON ENDS

President's Farewell Letter

(By

“Defence.”)

The basketball season has ended. The annual dinner is a thing of the past; a very successful dinner it was. All the clubs were represented except Woolworths, Wallacetown and Greenhills. All those who have helped us so nobly for so many years came to cheer the New Zealand champions and bid farewell to the president, Mrs R. S. Mclnnes. Mr Doig proposed the toast of the president and M. Shand and E. Small made the presentation of a chiming hall clock. On the preceding evening the executive members met Mrs Mclnnes and gave her a Doulton coffee service. The first grade representative team also made her a presentation of a silver pencil. Her efforts on behalf of the game in Southland have been much appreciated by all players in all the associations. The following letter has been received from Mrs Mclnnes: — “Dear Basketbailers, —It is not possible for me to see you all personally and to thank you each individually for your share in my beautiful gift. You know that I do not need any special present by which to rerirember you all, but I do appreciate that you were willing to get it for me. I have enjoyed my whole association with basketballers in Southland, and I would just like now to say carry on, and make it possible for every girl, who wishes, to enjoy basketball in her spare time. My thanks to all those who have supported me in my ideas and my very best wishes foi' further successes in the future.—Sincerely, Irene Mclnnes, president.” Decade of Progress. In June, 1925, the first meet of the Southland Basketball Union was held and one round of competitions was played in two grades. There were three clubs—lona, Wellesley and Collegiate for senior players. The remaining 13 teams were composed of school girls. All games were played on a Wednesday on school courts. lona won the senior and High School the junior grades, while the Royds Shield went to High School. A representative team consisting of V. Cloughley, R. Perry, M. Shand, R. Reid, M. Rodger, E. McStay, E. Botherway, D. Deegan, C. Webb, B. Andrews, and M. Royds travelled to Christchurch and took part in a tournament organized by the Canterbury Association. It lost every game. The first dinner was held in the Orphans’ Hall on September 9, 1925. In 1926 Kiwi, Bluff and Rata were new clubs; games were still played on Wednesday and on school courts. The representative players were N. Clare, E. Perry, C. Camm, D. Greig, R. Hinchey, M Royds, M. Williamson, M. Squires and D. Squires. The first New Zealand tournament was held at the Dunedin Exhibition and Southland defeated Otago B and North Otago. The

first fixture between Otago and Southland was played at Rugby Park and Southland lost by 15 to 14. In 1927 there were three grades. Wellesley and lona disbanded and Pirates, Makarewa and St. Peter’s affiliated. The senior and junior grades were won by High School and intermediate by Makarewa. The representative team was: M. Royds, S. Murdoch, C. Camm, L. Gilson, C. Wiig, V. Cloughley, E. McStay, D. and M. Squires, R. Hinchey and I. Dempster. The records of the games played in the tournament in Wellington have been lost, but Southland did not do very well. Southland defeated Otago by 38 to 35 at Dunedin on July 30. It was wet and the game was played indoors. The second King’s Birthday tournament was played, there being 26 teams entered.

In 1928 games were played on Wednesday and Saturday and the winners for each day played off. Rata won the senior grade and Makarewa the junior. The Southland News Company presented the News Shield for the champion team in the province and it was won by Rata. A Mayfair tournament was held and was won by Bluff. Central Methodist, Progressive, Rosedale and St. Mary’s were new clubs. The representative team was: M. Wright, S. Murdoch, B. Wall, K. Mitchell, M. Royds, I. Dempster, D. Dennis, A. Calder, E. McCurdy, M. Shand, A. McGavock and N. Clare. This was our worst year. We lost against Otago by 17 to 4 at Invercargill and won only one game at the tournament in Auckland, against Taranaki. In this year the secondary school teams with the exception of one team from the Girls’ High School withdrew from the senior competitions. A Mayfair tournament was again held on May 14. There were 175 present at the dinner that year. Courts Opened.

In 1929 we opened our own courts at Duke street, where all games have since been played. This was the year when Makarewa won all the trophies, including those for June 3. For the first time also a second grade team was chosen. It included F. Basstian and L. Glennie. The first grade team was Mrs V. Craig, D. Dennis, G. Twemlow, M. Shand, M. Wright, E. Shepherd, K. Jones, M. Wright, E. McStay, A. Roberts and P. Calder. Otago defeated Southland by 11 to 6 in Dunedin on July 20. The second grade team lost to Otago, but defeated Central, Eastern, Wakatipu and Arrowtown. Thirtyeight teams entered for the King’s Birthday tournament; a Mayfair tournament was also held. There were 160 at the annual dinner. A games evening was held on March 20. In 1930 Makarewa and Collegiate won the trophies between them. Haynco

was affiliated. R. Butson, L. Glennie, J. Adamson, M. Godward were in the second grade representatives and M. Wright, I. Dempster, M. Shand, Mrs Mortimer, Mrs Craig, E. Shepherd, P. Calder, M. McCurdy, M. Rodger, M. Royds, A. McGavock and C. Wiig represented the province at Hastings, where Southland won its own section but lost to Wellington by 15 to 7 in the semi-final and to Otago by 16 to 13 for third place. The tournament on June 3 attracted 39 entries. A carnival was held on June 6 and an evening tournament on June 9. The Referees’ Association was also formed. There were 190 present at the dinner. In 1931 matches were played on both Wednesday and Saturday until May 27, when a new draw was made, and since then all games have been played on Saturday. Games were played in four grades and were won as follows: Rata, Pirates, St. Peter’s and Bluff. Collegiate, Pirates and Oreti were the winners at the tournament. The Royds Shield was won by Makarewa and the News Shield by Rata. There was no New Zealand tournament this year and the representative team had only one game, against Otago at Dunedin, and lost by 19 to 18. The team was J. Hunter, M. Shand, G. Twemlow, E. Shepherd, J. Adamson, ,M. Royds, M. Wright, S. Murdoch and P. Calder. None of the second grade team of that year plays now. There were 182 present at the dinner at which the delegates to the New Zealand Council meeting were also present. 1932 Season. In 1932 the competition winners were Collegiate, St. Mary’s, Bluff and Makarewa; the tournament winners were i Rata, Lochiel, Collegiate and Spar Bush. | the Royds and News Shields both went |to Collegiate. J. Tyrell, J. Deegan and W. Clark were second grade representatives and the first grade team was M. Royds, E. Shepherd, F. Hinchey, D. Deegan, M. Shand, G. Bamford, Mrs Mortimer, J. Kelly, I. Glennie, P. Calder, M. Wright and M. McCurdy. The New Zealand tournament was played at Invercargill and Southland was defeated by Wellington by 16 to 14; by Otago, 17 to 15; and by Canterbury, 14 to 12. McKenzie’s and Wallacetown were granted affiliation. A scorers’ committee was formed. June 3 was wet and 52 teams played in the Drill Hall. The dinner was held on September 17 and there were 200 present. Waianiwa was granted affiliation. I The tournament was changed from I seven-a-side to nine-a-side. In 1933 the competitions were won iby Collegiate, Pirates, Kennington, Waianiwa and McKenzie’s; the tournament winners were Rata, St. Mary’s, Makarewa and Rovers. The News and Royds Shields were won by Collegiate. The second grade team included R. I Butson, J. Tyrell, M. McGrath, M. j Stapleton, B. Matheson and W. Clark, i The first grade team was L. Glennie, I E. Shepherd, F. Hinchey, M. Wright, ID. Glennie, P. Calder, J. Kelly, J. ' Hunter, M. Shand and R. Wilkes. At ■ Gisborne the team lost to Wellington, 14 to 11, and Auckland, 13 to 7, and to Otago at Dunedin, 13 to 11. The | second grade team defeated Otago, 1 Central and Eastern. Greenhills was granted affiliation. Sixty-six entries were received for the tournaments on June 3. In 1934 the weekly competitions were won by Collegiate, St. Mary’s, Makarewa, and Kiwi. The tournament winners were Rata (senior and second grade), St. Mary’s, Lochiel and Kiwi. This was the first occasion on which Kiwi had ever won any trophy. The second grade representative team included M. McGrath, J. Tyrell, F. Basstian, V. Frase v - M, Stapleton, B. Ingram, M. Jaquiery. It’ defeated Otago, North Otago, Central and Eastern. The first grade representatives were J. Kelly, E. Small, J. Blackburn, L. Mehaffey, B. Matheson, M. Royds, E. Shepherd, L. Glennie, I. Glennie, M. Wares, M. Shand and D. Lainchbury. They defeated Otago, 18 to 10, and at the tournament played at Dunedin lost to Wellington and Otago and drew with Canterbury. There were only 129 at the dinner on September T2. A feature of the year was the evening tournaments, which drew record entries. There were 81 entries for the tournament on June 3. Awarua, Waiau and Riverton joined as sub-associations.

In the New Zealand tournament held last year at Wellington it is interesting to note Southland’s scores: Defeated Canterbury, 7-6; Hawke’s Bay, 12-8; Poverty Bay, 18-2; Waikato, 18-8; lost to Wellington, 10-9; Auckland, 11-9; and Otago, 16-9.