Should Thirty be the Retiring Age for Our Athletes ?

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 749, 23 August 1929, Page 7

Should Thirty be the Retiring Age for Our Athletes ?

Auckland Veterans Who Say “No!"

AN American writer recently commerited on the fact that jolts were continually being given to the moss-grown theory that athletes die young, and in doing so cited the instance of the Columbia University rowing crew of 1889, which in this year of grace, 1929, turned out again intact in its old colours and rowed in a three-mile race—4o years after. English, cricket at the present time affords many such examples of giants of a former generation who are still mighty forces in the land. Syd Barnes, held by many critics to be the greatest bowler test cricket has seen, only this season routed the South African cricketers in a county game, bringing back memories of similar feats against the sons of the veld a decade or two ago. Then there are such men as Wilfred Rhodes, who, at the age of 48, won the memorable fifth test for Eng* land against Australia at the Oval in 1926 by his remarkable bowling, and who this season has done considerable damage with the ball in county cricket. To come nearer home there are men in Auckland today who continue to defy father time and take their places week by week in the sporting arena. What can we say, for instance, of an athlete well past his 63rd birthday, who still hurls the discus and puts the shot on the Domain like a frisky youngster of 40 years or so his junior? Then there is the tale —to unknowing ears almost a fairy tale—of an athlete who won a five-mile steeplechase on the Domain, two days after his 50th summer was signalled. Bowl-

ing also has its veterans—and real veterans they are, too. At the recent veterans’ tournament one competitor owned up to 89 years! At the same tourney the average ages of one rink ran out at 84 years. Cricket, golf, and tennis can feature similar examples correspondingly and to a less extent the same applies in the three football codes —Rugby, League and Soccer. ATHLETIC GIANTS “Bill” Stewart, the “youngster” of 63, who still takes a prominent part in field athletics in and around Auckland, was a champion walker in his day. He claims to have given away the biggest handicaps of any foot ped in Auckland—on occasions as much as a quarter of a mile in a two-mile event, and then won. At the conclusion of the Mitehelson Steeplechase of miles at Ellerslie on Saturday, he was heard bemoaning the fact that he had no running shoes, or he would have been out with the lads having a run round. There is no keener athlete in Auckland today than Alf. Clarke, the 50-year-old cross-country man, who ran fifth at Ellerslie on Saturday. He has been running in classy company since he was 18, and since 1904 has competed in Auckland. He has also shone as a swimmer, and is goal-keeper for the Waitemata Club’s water polo team. On three occasions, he was goalie for the Auckland water polo representatives. There is such a body as the Auckland Veteran Bowlers’ Association, although to many it would seem hardly necessary. To join this select band a man must have been a bowler for 21

years, or have attained the age of Go years. Rigid regulations these, which prevent any chicken of tender years gaining admittance. At the last tourney toward the close of the summer, the ages of one rink totalled 673 years, made up as follow:—Messrs. F. C. Taylor 81, J. Stitchbury 86, R. Newbegin 83. A. Gerring 84, J. Kirk 88, J. V. Dingle 81, M. Moon S2 and IT. C. Choyce 88. The oldest bowler on the green was Mr. Robert Farrell, 89, who joined the Auckland Club in 1886. The energetic secretary and treasurer of the association, Mr. James Carlaw, owns up to 74 years, but compared with his comrades he is really only a youngster. “Opai” Asher, Carlaw Park’s custodian, just squeezes into the ranks of veteran athletes still playing, by virtue of the fact that he turns out annually in the League old-timers’ match. Ho played his first representative game of Rugby for Tauranga against Rotorua at the age of 111. He was the star wing-three<fuarter of the 1903 All Blacks, considered in Australia to be the greatest Rugby team that ever left tlieso shores. “Opai” later played League, and won a place in the Australasian League sides which met Lomas’s Northern LTnion team in 1911. The first test ended in a draw —13 all—and of Australasia’s total, Opai was responsible for no fewer than 10 points. His performance in that game stamped him undoubtedly as one of the footballers of the century. "There was only one 'lffy/ and we won’t see his like again,” was

the remark made to the writer by an old Rugby enthusiast away up in the Bay of Islands a few months ago. Even there, the name of Karl Ifwerson is remembered in a day when five-eighths of the calibre of Bert Cooke, Tom Lawton and Charlie Oliver were dominating figures in the Rugby world. Like Opai Asher, Ivarl represented Maoriland at both League and Rugby. He came back to the Rugby code after the war, and represented New Zealand in the famous drawn third test against the Springboks. This year he made a “come-back” to club football to give a glimpse of the old artistry and cleverness that made him the master craftsman of his time. Auckland cricket ranks include many veterans pf the sport still going strong, chief among them being E.C. (“Curly”) Beale, who is never more at home than when donning the flannels as capta.in of mid-week teams, and organiser of his touring colt eleven. The other outstanding names are R. W. (Dick) Rowntree, veteran Auckland and New Zealand wicketkeeper, Arnold Anthony, former Canterbury and Auckland representative, W. Brooke-Smith, famous in past days as Hemus’s partner in Auckland representative cricket, and S. G. Smith, former English County, West Indies, Auckland and New Zealand representative. Swimming circles contribute Jack Enwright, during the war he was I,sooyds. champion of the New Zealand Division, and on many occasions Auckland and New Zealand sprint title-holder.