SCHOOLS’ RUGBY MATCH

Southland Times, Issue 24422, 30 April 1941, Page 9

SCHOOLS’ RUGBY MATCH

SOUTHLAND TO PLAY OTAGO NOMINATION OF BOWLS COUNCILLOR By ONLOOKER The war will not be allowed to interfere with the progress of the annual Rugby matches between the representatives of the primary schools of Otago and Southland. Recently the Southland Rugby Union asked the Otago Union what ft thought about the. playing of these games, and the Otago Union at its meeting this week wasted little time discussing the matter. It decided to invite the Southland schools’ team to Dunedin this season and to award caps to the boys as usual. The only extraordinary condition made was that all entertainment expenses will be eliminated. That is a minor condition, one which could easily be overcome by the boys themselves.

Mr D. K. Ton-ancc’s Nomination Mr D. K. Torrance, a member of the Southland Bowling Club and a member of the Southland Bowling Centre, has been nominated by the centre for a seat on the South Island Council of the New Zealand Bowling Association. Mr S. C. K. Smith, of Invercargill, has been Southland’s nominee for the position in the last few years and before him Mr J. H. Loudon held the office for about 13 years. The council consists of seven members selected from the nominees of the 11 centres in the South Island, and as Southland has been directly represented on the council for more than 20 years it is probable that Mr Torrance will be favoured. He is ideally suited for such an important office. His experience as a bowler and as a club and centre administrator will stand to him in the matters requiring the attention of the governing body. His championship record on the green is much above the average and includes the South Island championship pairs, won with L. H. Wildermoth as partner two seasons ago. Mr Torrance is well known throughout the South Island as a Rugby referee and Rugby administrator. He is a past president of the Southland Rugby Union. Golf In Sydney

Most golf clubs in and around Sydney favour the playing of informal inter-club matches this coming season, and already some of them have set the ball rolling by arranging home-and-home matches.

Croquet In England One would scarcely imagine that there could be any croquet in England last season, but a letter has been received from the secretary of the English Association, Mr G. Handell Elvey, in which he says that their offices had to be evacuated because of damage from bombs. The usual programme of matches could not be carried out, but club lawns had been used for many Red Cross and other patriotic efforts. They were not worried about matches in the ordinary sense, but were endeavouring to keep the English Association in being, ready to function when happier times came. New Zealand players will heartily applaud their sentiments and their work.

A Mighty Hitter In this part of the world “Jimmy” Thomson, the American professional, has up to the present been regarded as the longest hitter in golf; but information which has recently been received from the United States indicates that he must now take a back seat. Frank Siedle, a hotel clerk, who refuses to leave his office seat in Arkansas to embark upon serious participation in the game is, the professionals all agree, certainly the longest driver in the country, and some of them even say he is the best golfer. In a tournament at Hot Springs, his home town, he averaged 316 yards in a special driving contest in which the famous Sam Snead was well satisfied with 305. An indication of the mighty hitting that Siedle’s performance represents is given in the fact that A. E. Guy, regarded in New Zealand as a tremendous driver, won the contest at the last Dominion championship with 286yds Ift 4in, while A. H. Boyd, noted in Otago for his powerful hitting, won the aggregate with drives of just over 283 and 271 yards. Siedle, who is 24 years of age, three times in one week successfully took the short-cut at a dog-leg hole on his own course which demands a 325 yards carry, and Johnny Bulla actually watched him drive a hole at Chicago which is 330 yards long.