SPORTS BUDGET

Southland Times, Issue 25794, 4 October 1945, Page 3

SPORTS BUDGET

Southland Boxing Champions

GEORGE MUIR STILL WINNING

By

ONLOOKER

The success of George Muir, former Southland heavyweight boxer, against Bobby Clarke (Australia) at Wellington this week recalls the Southland amateuy team which took part in the New Zealand championship at Hastings in 1934. The team consisted of Muir, Bill Pasco, Bill Campbell, Watty Jack and Carmen Spencer. Mr M. Wilson was the manager and George McEwan was trainer. Tlie only member of the team to win a New Zealand title was George Muir, but all of the Southland boxers put up good performances and were considered to be well up to New Zealand standard. Later the same season Muir and Bill Pasco won Australasian titles in the international meet which was held at Invercargill, Muir taking the light heavyweight title and Pasco the heavyweight. It is interesting to recall that Muir and Pasco met in a professional bout at Greymouth just a few weeks ago. Muir also met with much success while a member of the New Zealand Forestry Unit in England. Of the others, Watty Jack lost his life while on active service overseas and Bill Campbell (Otautau) returned recently after a period of captivity in German prisoner of war camps. George McEwan won New Zealand titles in both the amateur and professional ranks and at present is living up Nelson way. Mr Wilson, treasurer of the Southland Boxing Association for many years, is now carrying out the secretarial duties of the Association.

Unusual It is not unusual to find brothers associated in senior Rugby teams or even ; in provincial sides, but it is a rarity to | find brothers alongside each other in [ the backs of a national side. In the New Zealand team which defeated Services at Wellington on Saturday were to be found J. Haig (half-back) and L. Haig (first five-eighth), both of Kaitangata. The only other case of brothers playing in the backs together in a New Zealand side is the case of the Nicholls brothers Mark and “Gini ger” (H. E.) who were first five and I half back respectively in the New Zeaj land team against the Springboks in 1 1921. The Brownlies (Maurice and [ Cyril) also played together in New i Zealand teams; they were forwards. | Frank Brown’s Success | Frank Brown, who won the Otago : flyweight boxing title at Dunedin this I week, has won several Otago and I Southland championships in the last seven or eight years. In 1940 he won | the Otago bantam-weight title, and in (the doing he gave away more than a stone to his opponent in the final. In 'the Southland championships at Bluff that year he was runner up to A. Ogilvy, of Invercargill. A clever twohanded boxer, he has proved himself in his class and it is possible that he will step out as a professional next season. High Scoring One of the highlights of the club Rugby season in Invercargill was the 'scoring of 19 points by R. Campbell, [Pirates captain, in the game between Marist and Pirates. Campbell scored five I tries and converted two, a performance 'thought to be unique in senior Rugby lin Invercargill and rivalled only by the ■2O points scored by Arthur Wesney for j Southland against Ashburton in 1939. I It is now recalled that S. Ramsay, of the Invercargill club, scored 19 of I Invercargill’s 25 points against Marist |in the Galbraith shield final in 1940. The game was won by Marist by 27 [points to 25. Ramsay’s 19 points were [made up of six goals (four penalties jand two conversions) and a try. Southland Champions The prospect of the Southland amateur boxing championships being revived this year after a lapse of five years has caused supporters of the game to seek information about the last titles meeting in Southland. The championships were last held at Bluff in 1940 and resulted as follows: —

Flyweight.—A. Ogilvy. Paperweight.—N. Drake (Ocean Beach) Bantamweight.—J. Edgeler (Temuka) Lightweight.—W. Brown Welterweight.—L. Bolger (Mataura) Middleweight.—W. Enright Light-Heavyweight.—W. Enright

Heavyweight.—D. Anderson (Browns)

I A junior featherweight championship [was also conducted and it was won by IM. Wilson, of Invercargill. J Bowls Notes Some of the 30 bowling clubs in Southland will make a start for the new season on Saturday. Among those who will be conducting official greenopening ceremonies are the Waikiwi [and Hokonui clubs. Waikiwi are usui ally the first of the city clubs to get I a start, and their green is certain to be well patronized on Saturday. The Stewart Island club made a s.tart yesterday. Almost. all clubs report increased memberships and in some cases transfers of players from one club to another have been effected. J. Ure, a member of Northend for the last 10 years and one of the foremost bowlers in the province, has resigned and has igone to Invercargill. To replace Ure, i Northend have gained F. Lambeth, the 'well-known Dunedin player, formerly lof the Balmacewan club. Lambeth is a winner of the New Zealand singles championship. Several rinks from Southland will take part in the New Zealand championship tournament at Christchurch in January. One which has been completed is the Northend rink consisting of A. C. Millar, G. C. Batcheler, D. M. Scandrett and S. C. K. Smith. At least three rinks will go from Te Rangi. They will be' skipped by M. McKenzie, D. M. Andrew and G. Donald. Dick Baker Out Dick Baker, Invercargill middleweight boxer, who was to have met Roy Stevens at Auckland on October 8, will not fight again this season. He is acting on medical advice. Baker was undefeated Army champion, and since his return to New Zealand he has had three bouts. He beat Cliff Hanham, New Zealand middleweight champion, and Fred Southee and lost to Danny O’Keefe. Whether he again enters the ring has yet to be decided. In the meantime he will get his sport on the golf links, a game at which he is said to be proving an apt pupil. Plucky

One of the highlights of the Southland 56 miles road cycling championship last Saturday was the determination of Ashley Henderson, a junior rider, who “punctured” three miles from the finishing line and carried on on a flat tyre to get second place. The misfortune probably cost him the junior championship, but it stamped him as a rider of whom much more will be heard. Hard-Hitting Heavyweight

K. Skinner (Dunedin) winner of the Otago heavyweight boxing championship this week, is a younger brother of Dr Peter Skinner, of Invercargill. He is a former champion of the Christian Brothers High School and is. regarded as one of the most promising amateurs turned out in Otago in recent years. A hard hitter, he stands his height and uses his left more freely than the average heavyweight. Earlier in the season Skinner conceded Bomber Brown,’ of Invercargill, about a stone and a half and. defeated him decisively. On Monday night he defeated R. Anderson, of

Invercargill, in the final of the heavyweight championship. Winner’s at Mossburn Old Boys Rugby teams generally do well in seven-a-side football and it was no surprise to find the Old Boys team from Invercargill winning the tournament at Mossburn on Saturday. The winning team was made up of E. G. Walker (Southland centre three-quar-ter), S. F. Walker, C. Snow, G. Rogerson, C. Whittaker, G. Watson ar.d J. Bath.

Nightcaps won the junior section with the following team:—P. Creedy, D. Creedy, R. Creedy, R. Boxser, G. Grant, N. Allan and V. Booth. The Nightcaps Convent team which won the schools’ tournament was as follows: —M. Murphy, D. Murphy, R. Creedy, A. Laidlaw, W. Carrick, M. Ford and G. Robb. N.Z. Team’s Play

The feature of the game between New Zealand and the Services last Saturday was the great combination of the New Zealand inside backs, ably fed by J. Haig at half. L. Haig, M. P. Grace and T. C. Morrison, the last-named being outstanding, were the decisive factors in the win, though at times, some of the forwards played like backs. Altogether, New Zealand; gave a great display, W. Mumm, C. Willocks and B. Barnes were the best of the pack. For Services, P. King, at centre, and I. Colquhoun at first five-eigths, were the best of the backs, with J. Shannon, D. Herman and P. Fitzgerald playing well in the loose. At one stage, New Zealand were down, 13-3, but towards the end of the first spell, New Zealand took charge and after that never looked like being beaten. The half-time score was 13-all.

Youth’s Fine Golf One of the best rounds at the Eastern District golf championships at Wyndham last weekend was credited to Jack Mangan (Queen’s Park), a youth who promises to carry a well-known golfing name to fresh honours on the links Playing from a handicap of 15, he covered the course in the morning in 78, which was as good as anyone in the field could do. He had a comfortable lead in the intermediate championship at that stage, but after lunch appeared to be trying too hard and began to make mistakes. He finished the second round in 88 for a total of 166, two more than that of the winner. Mangan has a good style, and with experience he can be expected to play a prominent part in Southland golf. After a close contest Cyril Gray (Invercargill) won the senior championship, E. O. Heney (Winton) and P. B. Barnett (Wyndham) tieing for second place only a stroke away. All three played first-class golf in the afternoon, two 76’s and a 77 being returned. W. Irvine (Wyndham), who won the intermediate title, had 83 in the morning and improved two strokes in the afternoon. The new Junior champion is W. Walker (Queen’s Park). Seventy-two players took part in the Hewat Shield match at Queen’s Park last Saturday. The result was in | doubt until the last players had re- I turned, Invercargill eventually regaining the trophy by 17 matches to | 15. ■ Four were halved. The provincial champion, H. W. Rogers, was in great form, completing the round in 73, one over the scratch score. He took 40 for the first half, then began a brilliant run which continued without a blemish to the 18th. His score for the i last nine holes was 33, two under the I scratch score. I The Gore Club’s tournament will be I held during Labour Day weekend. ■ Women’s matches will be played on the Thursday and Friday, October 18 and 19, and the men’s tournament will begin on the Saturday and continue over the weekend.