EMPIRE RIFLE SHOOTING

Taranaki Daily News, 12 May 1930, Page 11

EMPIRE RIFLE SHOOTING

VICTORY FOR SOUTH AFRICA.

By Telegraph.—Press Association.

Wellington, May 10. The report on the competition amongst boys of the British Empire for the King’s Trophy, held in connection with the National Rifle Association, is now to hand. The competition this year was won- by South Africa, with an average score of 83 points. These competitions for miniature rifle shooting have been conducted annually since 1910 by the National Rifle Association with the object of encouraging every boy of British - birth between 12 and 19 years of age to learn how to use a rifle. They were founded by Colonel Ramohd W. Fennel, formerly of South Africa, by means of whose generous endowments the prize lists, medals,, badges and aimmunition grants are annually provided, and who defrays all administrative expenses. In connection with their conduct in Great Britain the present report deals ■with the great match for the challenge; trophy ’ presented by His Majesty the King,ip 1925 for competition between teams, which, shall be. .as far as possible representative of the full strength, of -yo,n,th.in Britain ami. each of the great Dominions. Over 40,000 boys shot for this trophy in 1929 in all. parts of.. the Empire. Nationally representative teams of not less than 3000 strong were selected from the best teams after all the units had fired, and there was no limit to the number of beys or units in each country.

New Zealand shows the most remarkable increase in members. Of nearly 85,000 the total of 13,147 is the largest number from one Dominion which has ever taken part in these competitions. Canada, with an increase of 900 competitors, continues .to make excellent progress, and a welcome revival of interest is also . noted in Rhodesia and India. Great Britain, unfortunately, has. to'record a large decrease of nearly '.OO, following upon one of 900 during the previous year. South Africa’s falling off i(SQO) .is,, .in, view of.,..the Unionfs fine efforts, for the past two.years, less seri-. pus, .but Australia’s figures arc increasingly disappointing. .It is interesting to note that the two Dominions with the smallest. . white populations —South Africa.,a,ud New Zealand—together .furnish considerably more than half of the tot' - 1 entries.

Canada took second place this year with an average of 82.258. Great Britain was third and New Zealand fourth,- with an average of 66.49, representing an improvement of 5.6 points per boy on last year.