SPORTS BUDGET

Southland Times, Issue 24497, 26 July 1941, Page 4

SPORTS BUDGET

Selection Of Table Tennis Teams,

The selectors, Messrs S. Robson, A. R. Cullen and J. D. S. Robertson, have chosen four good sides for the table tennis matches against Otago at Invercargill tills evening and there is little cause for complaint at the selections. Out of the six players in the men’s A grade four, F. R. Paton, S. Robson, J. Louden and A. Roberts, are penholders and the first three are the top three players in the team. Paton, who is temporarily working in Invercargill, has been playing up to his best form and automatically went into No. 1 position. Robson, top Southland player for the past seven or eight years, is holding his form particularly well, and he is one player who has improved through the sending of a Southland team to Wellington last year. There is little to choose between the next four players, Loudon, J.-Ferguson, T. Breayley and Roberts. Roberts is the only newcomer to the team. This player has improved considerably since last year and it will be interesting to note how he performs against the Otago players. Miss D. Stott, of the Star Club, has been ranked about sixth position on the ladder for three years, but lately she has improved a great deal and is now top of the women’s ladder. The next three players, Miss T. Ferns, Mesdames S. Robson and J. Croad, have represented Southland on several occasions and can be relied on to make a good showing in the match. The remaining two players, Miss A. Henderson and Miss J. Stevens, are having their first senior representative match and both are capable of extending the best Otago women.

Of the women’s B grade team Miss N. Townsend has proved to be the best in her grade and she is capable of extending the best A grade women players. This girl is only 13 years of age, and she has made wonderful progress during her first season at the sport. Her sister, V. Townsend, is only 11 years old and the selectors have given this promising player the opportunity of gaining experience by including her in the women’s B grade team. Also included in the team is another young player, Miss N. Waddick. These three girls all possess a strong forehand drive and their games will be keenly watched by the spectators. In the men’s B grade team the third player, M. Forde, has done particularly well in his first season at the game and the experience gained against Otago should improve his play considerably. The emergency for this team, D. Branks, is another young player and he may be given an opportunity by the selectors later.

Sport And War Though few people believe nowadays that “Waterloo was won on the playing fields of Eton” the Governments in the British Commonwealth are, nevertheless, inclined to encourage organized games in war-time. They recognize the contribution that such games make towards national fitness and also their value as a relaxation for players and spectators. But it was not always thus. During the fourteenth century Edward 111 of England prohibited football and other games because, in his opinion, they interfered with the practice of archery and other military exercises. A century later, for a similar reason, James 111 of Scotland decreed that football and golf were to be “utterly cried down” in his realm. His successor James IV, also banned “football, golf and other such unprofitable sports.” John Knox played golf (it has even been alleged that he played on Sundays), but the Presbyterians in Scotland and the Puritans in England strongly denounced football as an ungodly sport. But it survived, nevertheless, and it is interesting to remember that both Rugby and Association football have a common origin in the rough and tumble game that the people of England and Scotland kept alive down the centuries in spite of royal edicts and thunderings from the pulpit.

New World Champion Richard Lemos, who, according to the National Boxing Association of America, is now world featherweight champion, on his K.O. victory over Pete Scalzo, at Los Angeles on July 2, is a southern Californian who has been winning consistently for some time. Early this year Scalzo stopped Lemos in seven rounds, but Lemos went on to lick Guy Serean, Tommy Liddell and Zeka Castro. Then he went up to the lightweights and beat Lew Feldman to earn another shot at Scalzo’s title, which was presented to him by the N.B.A. Harry Jaffa is recognized by the N.Y. Association as champion on his win over Joe Archibald, who got the title by beating Mike Belloise in a fight-off when Armstrong retired from that class. Thus, as in other divisions in the American fight game, there are two champion featherweights.

Superstitious None of the Manly Rugby Union team in the Sydney senior competition will wear No. 6 jersey. There is a hoodoo on it, they believe. M. Whitehead, wearing No. 6 in the first trial match of the season, was injured, and only a week ago came out of hospital. No. 6 was then reserved for the former League player T. Carey, but the union would not reinstate him, although Manly appealed three times. G. Wansey was next to be allotted No. 6 jersey, but although selected four times, injuries prevented him from playing. This recalls the story of a wellknown player who, before an All Black trial game, refused to don the jersey that had been allotted to him because its number was 13. Another forward, who was comparatively unknown, agreed to swap jerseys. The latter played a brilliant game, but the well-known player got all the credit in the paper because the reporter apparently went by the numbers in the programme. A Rugby Family

The name of Brownlie is again prominent in Poverty Bay Rugby. Three brothers, Jim, Jack and Earl, half-brothers to the famous All Blacks, Maurice and Cyril, are playing for the Athletic Club in Wairoa. Between them they scored 17 of the 31 points registered by their side in a recent match. Jim, a Wairoa and Hawke’s Bay representative, scored three tries and Jack and Earl one each, Jim converting one. Still another brother, Ralph, was absent from this particular contest on account of an injury to his hand. Like the All Blacks, all four brothers play in the forwards.

Encouraging Young Players A feature of table tennis this year has been the play of the teams entered by the St. Mary’s Club. In the women’s A grade its team has a good lead in the competition and until Monday evening, when two of its leading players, in Miss M. McGrath and Miss E. Crowe, were absent this team had lost only one match. In the women’s B grade St. Mary’s entered a very young team, the average, age being about 13, but after losing the first match it has since been undefeated. In the men’s A grade St. Mary’s has been unfortunate in losing two of its leading players, N. Forde and E. Coupe, and though the team is weaker than it was last year it is at present second equal in the competition. The B grade A team is equal first with

Star and here again St. Mary’s has a very promising team of young players, the average age being about 15. During the last few years the St. Mary’s Club has concentrated on its young players and through this wise policy the club will not only win many team championships in the next few years, but members should win many individual championships.

Among The Cyclists With Avon Cup races over members of the Invercargill Amateur Cycling Club hav.e shown that although some of the former champions are on active service there are still others to keep the sport going. A. Waddick, winner of the cup with one first and two fastest times to his credit during the cup races, has showed up well, as has C. Campbell, who secured second place. L. Johnston, one of the club’s veteran riders, who has been starting from a back mark on his own, has ridden some splendid races of which the last of the Avon Cup series was probably his best. Losing time on the outward journey to Woodlands, he soon made this up and was at one stage only 20 sec behind the bunch ahead. Other riders who may soon be in the finishes are D. Ward, R. Young and F. Aim. Ward put up fastest time for the 30-mile race last Saturday. L. Young, who started for the first time in the last Avon Cup race, was riding well until he had the misfortune to get a puncture. Aim has been in the first bunch home every time he has started, but as yet has not secured a winning place. Although there are nine new members competing and about 20 riders are starting each Saturday, there are still a few more to come. H. Hubber and A. Jones are at present in territorial camp, while O. Drury is on holiday. These riders are all back-markers and on their return the riders at present on these marks should have more chance of contesting the finishes. Today the Southland 25-mile time trial will be held, the course being to Woodlands and return via Rakauhauka and Roslyn Bush. Provided foui or more juniors start, and there is every indication that there will be, there will be a senior and junior championship, as well as the sealed handicap race which is run in conjunction with the championship. The record for the senior championship is lh 4min 33sec, which was put up by A. Drury. In view, of the fast times which have been registered so far this season it is quite probable that this time will be equalled, if not broken. The trophies for these events have been donated by IMessis A. V. Jones and H. W. Insall.

Met In Egypt News of two players who helped Canterbury to keep the Rugby supremacy of New Zealand from 190 l to 1933 has been received by the president of the Canterbury Rugby Union (Mr E. V. Phillips) from a former referee, Captain R. R. Beattie. In the latter’s unit in Egypt are G. D. Innes and R. Hazelhurst, two of the inside backs of the successful provincial team. The former enlisted in New Zealand and the latter in England, where he had been playing League football before the war. Harrier Club Closes Season

The departure on active service of many members of the St. Paul’s Harrier and Athletic Club and the activities in the Home Guard of most of those remaining has weakened its harrier pack to such an extent that it has been found necessary to close the club’s cross-country season. Many sports clubs are finding it a hard job to keep going, but surely this must be the hardest hit of all. No fewer than 70 or 80 active and former members are serving with the forces. Over 30 are in the Air Force. A good proportion turned out last year with the harriers and their loss is now keenly felt. There are still a few members left, but most of these are in tire Home Guard and thus have no time to spare on Saturday afternoons for running. The position was recently considered by members and it was thought best to close the season. When \ the track season comes on, evening meetings will offer an opportunity to the remaining members to represent the St. Paul’s Club once more.