ROCHDALE SUPREME

Te Awamutu Courier, Volume 80, Issue 7181, 27 March 1950, Page 4

ROCHDALE SUPREME

AUCKLAND CHAMPIONSHIP WON OTHER OUTSTANDING SUCCESSES

(By the Team’s Special Reporter)

The Rochdale girls marching team brought tne current marching season to a gionous and thrilling finish when at the Auckland Centre open championship meeting held at Carlaw Tark, on Saturday, they won the cnampionship march, the Best Costume class, while Miss Nola Morriss secured second place in the champion leader. Altogether a splendid series, of victories gained against a very high standard of marching. Twenty-six had entered, but New Zeaiand Herald team defaulted, leaving twenty-five teams .to compete, lliey were, The Mount team (Tauranga), Boon Bros. (Stratford), Belvedere (Auckland), Cnildswear (Auckland), El Jay (Pukekohe.), Farmers’ Trading Co. (Auckland), Kiwi (Pukekohe), Dinks (Northland), Green Anows (Putaruru), Petone Rebels (Wellington), Kilties (Whangarei), Shamrock (Whangarei), Citizen’s Band (Hamilton) Bombay team, Kiwi No. 1 (Auckland), Rebels B (Whangaiej, Smith’s Cavaliers (Wellington), -Grenadiers B (Whangarei), Rebels A (Whangarei), Tauranga Pipe Band, Kiwi No. 2 (Auckland) Grenadiers A (Whangarei), Combined Salons (Whangarei), Rochdale (Te Awamutu), Fusiliers (Hamilton). The weather >in Auckland was dull ant overcast and a slight shower of rain fell while the first three teams were undergoing inspection and it caused the girls to rush for shelter. Fortunately it ceased and the remainder of the day remained fine, though a close muggy heat prevailed, which in the main was no doubt responsible for four or five girls fainting. The attendance was exceptionally large, the sign “Stands Full” being put up at a very early hour. The. terraces also had a very full quota of s pectators and it indicated a very live and healthy interest in marching. The Mount team was the first to march, and Rochdale was the twenty- ' fifth to do so. The first team to reveal marching of a high order was the Farmers' Trading Co. team and from then on, really first-class marching was witnessed. The marching of the Petone Rebels roused the spectators to a great degree of enthusiasm, but while their marching appealed to the crowd it was not in accordance with the rules as laid, down in the official hand book. Rochdale once more demonstrated not only their ability to march, but to give the spectators an insight into what marching really is. They rose, to their greatest heights and their marching on Saturday, even .exceeded their effort at Hamilton, three weeks’ ago, when they took everything before them. They marched as a team and won with that graceful, confident dignity that appealed to the public, and they concluded their marching to the accompaniment of round after round of loud and enthusiastic applause. Even those who had thought that the. Petone Rebels would be the winners quickly changed their opinions and Rochdale were openly acclaimed as being the winners. Their performance at Rotorua and Auckland makes the writer more convinced than ever that had they marched the full course in the open at Christchurch they would to-day be the New Zealand champions. However, there are more marching season’s ahead and if the girls stick to it as they have done in the past and their is every reason to believe they will do, they will next season attain that greatly deserved supremacy. It is generally admitted by all who know what marching really is, that Rochdale’s success is in the main due to constant practice under the able tuition of their instructor, .Mr F. E. Waters, who has a rare understanding of the. team and its capabilities. They too, have the benefit of a sympathetic and painstaking leader in Miss Morris and last but by no means least, the girls are intensely loyal to one another and they have a natural ability for marching that helps to weld the team into an excellent marching unit. There were a large number of Te Awamutu residents among the crowd at Carlaw Park and they shared with the girls the joy of winning such an important marching championship.

Their success in the Costume class was particularly pleasing and the people of Te Awamutu and district who so generously supported the recent Gala benefit in aid of the girls can feel an equal pride that at last the/splendid blue and white uniforms that has advertised Te Awamutu, wherever they have appeared has received its due and just recognition. To have beaten Green Arrows, who are the holders of the North Island costume premier honours, is no small achievement. The success on Saturday was also most pleasing to Mrs Mason, of Kihikihi, who not only made the uniforms, but made a necessary alteration to them at very short notice and with some degree of monetary loss, the latter being her donation to the girls.

The following are the placings:— Mcllroy Cup, Open Championship: Rochdale, 4374 points, 1; Grenadiers (Whangarei), 436 points 2, and Auckland Farmers’ Trading Co. 3. Costumes: Rochdale w 95 points, 1. Champion Leader: Miss Sissons (Whangarei Grenadiers), 106 points, 1; Miss Nola Morriss (Rochdale), 102 points, 2; Miss M. Jelilich (Kiwis No. 2, Auckland), 99 points, 3.

Mi' F. E. Waters received a handsome shield as the instructor of the champion team, who accorded Mr Waters three cheers. Last year at Auckland, Rochdale tied with the New Zealand Herald team for the open championship honours, which they won on Saturday. Telegrams of good wishes were received from The Ascot Girls, Elayne Southcombe, Tracey Sklenars, Mrs Laurel Grey (Hamilton), former leader of the team; The Ascot Drummer, Ml’ and Mrs Ken Bowden, and the McLiesh’s.

Miss Lynette Waters marched with the team in the Grand March and in the Serpentine display. The salute was taken by the Mayor of Auckland, Mr

J. A. C. Allum. The Sepent’ne march was as usual a most spectacular display and it called forth hearty rounds of applause. The officials who conducted Saturday’s event are to be congratulated on the success attained, due to a great deal of painstaking effort and hard work. The conduct of the championships left little to be desired and that aspect helped to make the function one long to be remembered. Sidelights—The very satisfactory poultry luncheon partaken of by the team and friends in the bus shortly after the arrival in the Queen City of the north. The thanks of those who did it full justice are due to the ladies who cooked the meal with its accompanying delicacies. The writer was amused to hear two Auckland people., a man and his wife presently speak somewhat patronisingly of the efforts of teams outside the city saying, of course, you could hardly expect them to do as well as girls from the City. Two or three men in the grandstand after Rochdale’s success had been announced were heard to shout loudly, “Good old cow cockies,” at least they knew where Te Awamutu is and what it is most famous for.

Members of the defunct R.S.A. girls’ marching team, made first-class messengers, the first time the services of girls has been utilised for that work.

The City of Auckland Pipe Band and the Ponsonby Boys’ Brass Band rendered first-class music. As usual the Rochdale girls marched to pipe band The team was, Miss Nola Morriss (leader), Misses Ruihi Duncan (marker), Pat Dymore Brown, Bernice Bowden, Josie McLiesh, Ailsa Trask, Betty Adams, Mary Meldrum, Marie Rigby, Ngaire McLiesh. The team has the following outstanding record to its credit, a record probably not equalled by any marching team ‘n New Zealand. Wins were recorded at the Hamilton Show, Taranaki championships at New Plymouth, Rotorua, Mt. Maunganui, Te Awamutu, Waikato championships at Hamilton, Rotorua Centre championships at Rotorua, Auckland championships at Auckland and at an unofficial test at Hamilton in the High School grounds. They were unplaced at the North Island championships at Auckland, and were sixth at the New Zealand championships at Christchurch. They have beaten Sargettes, New Zealand champions and Shaw’s Kilties, North Island champions. Such a record is one that not only the team, but the town and district can be, justifiably proud. Congratulations Mr Waters, Miss Morriss and girls on your inarching successes.

The Hamilton Caledonian Pipe Band has conferred a signal honour on Rochdale by inviting them to give a display of marching at Hamilton on the occasion of an open air march and quickstep display.