ON THE HOCKEY FIELD

Taranaki Daily News, 20 July 1933, Page 10

ON THE HOCKEY FIELD

COMMENTS. ON THE PLAY

the representative game.

HISTORY OF THE NORDON CUP.

(By

“Sticks.”)

No competition games having taken place in North Taranaki last Saturday through adverse weather, and the men’s competition having been decided without a doubt, there remains little to-remark on ' this week. There are, however, a number of highly important events to take place in the near future. Taranaki—-Waipa Match.

The most important is undoubtedly the Nordon Cup match to-day, which promises to be easily the best representative game .to be seen in the province this season. The Taranaki team is in excellent form, as its two easy* victories this year have shown and with the confidence imbued by recent successes behind it, should be able to accomplish great things. In Waipa, however it may meet its match. The Waikato team has been the winner of the White Horse Cup in Auckland- for about the last three years. Reports of the recent match at Auckland, when Waikato failed by a narrow margin to . wrest the New- Zealand Challenge Shield from Auckland, indicate that this season. Waikato is fielding a team which appears to be of unprecedented strength. Containing on the one hand several experienced All Blacks, on the other it also possesses an agreeable blend of promising juniors, all of whom fully justified their selection. Referring to the game, a Waikato critic says:—“ln the forwards particularly was unusual strength noticed for it has, in the past, been a difficult matter -to choose a really strong van. Saturday’s eleven appear to be an exception and although the selectors, with the material at their disposal, might have chosen slightly better on-the left of the vanguard, there was not a weak link in the;;entire.eleven.” The Teams Selected. :The following team has been selected to represent Waipa—. Goal—Jas Spiers. • Full-backs—L. Spiers, Roy Hinton. ..Halves—T., Macky,O. Finch, R. Spiers? ■’Forwards—E. Richardson, Leo ; Karl, Bert Spiers, G. Good, G. Finch. ’ Emergencies—T, Finch (Waratahs), •P. Bqrry (Paterangi). The Taranaki team will be—- . Goal—-Bennett. Full-backs—Thomson, Ryan. Halves—V. Betts, Page, Duncan. Forwards—Pennington, IrWln, .Wat&bn, Surgenor, S. Betts. , ‘ J ' Emergencies — Windle (forward), Brough (half), Pitcher (full-back). , -.,A correspondent forwards the following account of the history of the game in Taranaki and of the Norddn .Cup con- - ■ /Away back in 1902 the game of hockey as far as men were concerned was commenced in earnest and met with increasing popularity until. the historical war for a few years stopped the game altogether, but to be revived again in 191». For the next seven years the game as a popular winter pastime, met with <mly medicore success, but with a visit to Taranaki by the world famed Indian Army Hockey Team in 1926 the game has found increasing popularity amongst the energetic young people of Taranaki. There is to-day in Taranaki alone over 400 men players, who are’game by game becoming scientific adepts of hockey. The Indians were past masters of the game and their amazing Skill thrilled admiring fans throughout Neu Zealand. Should an Indian Army team now return to New Zealand, they would find a, provincial team, hard to beat let alone a New Zealand side, so advanced in technique;, stick. work and the art of Combination have players and teams become. A recent.’example of these facte was presented to Hockey supporters last Thursday in the match Taranaki played against Dannevlrke when the game was not stopped at any time through injuries to players. It is also f i interesting point that when the whistle was blown for any infringements, the players and spectators knew what -the infringement was, so Open and brilliant was the game. In 1928 because of the large number of players it became necessary to form a junior grade. The formation of this junior grade naturally made competition between the various teams keener and a better class of hockey came into being. Young men were beginning to realise that hockey was a game Of skill that required perfect physical fitness, and true to type all young New Zealanders with the knowledge that it is the perfect winter sport have taken up the game, so that'to-day in Taranaki alone there are over 400 men players divided into 37 senior and junior teams. Out of this number the selectors Messrs H. C. Johnson, F. J. McFadgen and M. Priest have obtained a team which will hold its own' anywhere so sound is their combination and brilliant and tricky their stick work. Taranaki hockey has the honotfr amongst other classes of Sport in so far aS it is the > only game that has run a special train to convey players only to one bf its tournaments. This great event happened on June 3rd of this year: when 300 player., travelled from New Plymouth and intermediate stations to take part in a tournament at Hawera where over 600 players participated in the various games. Nordon Cup.

Until 1911 Taranaki played representative games against Auckland, Wellington, Canterbury and Otago. During the season of 1910. the New Zealand Hockey Association discussed the ways of encouraging representative matches among the smaller associations as it was realised that the small associations could not successfully compete against the better organised and more compact larger associations for the honour of holding the New Zealand- Hockey Shield. In 1911 the President of the New; Zealand Hockey Association, the late Mr. G. Nordon presented the cup. known to all hoskey enthusiasts as the .Nordon Cup, This cxip was to be competed^for by the minor associations and if they successfully held the cup for six successive times they were if the New Zealand association. thought fit then classed as a major association and eligible to challenge for the Challenge Shield. Taranaki has taken one of the most active parts in competing for this coveted, trophy. The cup was first given to Wairarapa as holders who successfully held the cup against Taranaki the first challengers'in 1912 by four goals to three. The second time Taranaki challenged was in 1914 butwere badly beaten by the Waikato them the holders of the cup. The war period put an end to hockey until 1919 when they unsuccessfully tried again. Success came in 1921 when they defeated .the Rangitiki' Association by three goats to nil. Their success was short lived however for- along came Wairarapa to Taranaki to take the cup f back with them. Since'l927 Taranaki has. challenged the different holders of the Nordon Cup, playing four drawn games and losing one. In 1932 Manawatu the holders of the cup ./ere classed as a major association and the New Zealand Association decided to hold eliminating matches for the cup, which Taranaki won after winning against Waipa at Stratford and against Whangarei at i Auckland. Last week Taranaki also defeated a very surprised Wellington tour-

ihg team at Eltham by feur goals to nil. This year Taranaki has so far successfully defended the eup against Horowfaenua nine goals to nil and against Dahnevirke five goals to two. Undoubtedly their strongest challenger will be Waipa who play them at the Camp Reserve Waitara to-day. The challengers who number four New Zealand Representatives among their men will make a formidable side against Whom Taranaki has fielded their strongest players, and those fortunate enough to attend the match Will be assured of thrilling hockey, Twenty-one times have Taranaki contested for the Nordon Cup, scoring in all 54, goals against 44. Teams that have played against Taranaki for the Nordon Cup are Walrarapa, Wanganui; Waikato, Rangitikl, Dannevirke, Horowhenua, Bush, Waipa, Whangarei and (Manawatu. The Taranaki Team.

, The following comments on the personnel of the Taranaki team may be of interest to followers of the game:— Goal: Bennett first played for Taranaki against Australia in 1929 and in every Nordon Cup match since then. Full-back: Ryan is only a young man whose brilliancy last year secured him representative honours; a particularly sound player. M. Thompson is A very fast player with well-developed sense of interception who has played representative hockey since 1929. Left half-back: Duncan, in his second year of big hockey, plays safe and tackles well. ' > . Centre half: L. Page, captain of the team, has a perfect understanding of the game and is the team’s mainstay. He has played representative games consistently since 1929, including against the Indian Army team in 1926 and Australia in, 1929. . Right half-back: V. Bette is a sound player who has represented the province on many occasions in the last few years. Left wing: S. Bette is a brilliant and tricky player who has played for Taranaki for the last four years, as well as playing for the New . Zealand minor associations in 1929 and for the North Island in 1930. Left inside: G. Surgenor is only 19 years of age and is Of suclj. brilliancy that he has played for Taranaki both last year and this year in Nordon Cup matches. Centre forward: J. Watson is a reliable goal scorer for his side. He first played for Otago in 1930 and has represented Taranaki in 1932 and 1933. Left inside: R. Irwin in experience and brilliancy comes second only to L. Page. He has had first-class experience of . big hockey. He has played for Taranaki in all matches since 1923 and is a great worker for his side. Right wing: K. Penington is a very heady player with the ethics of hockey at his' finger-tips. He has represented Taranaki since 1921 and played agamst the Indian Army team and the Australians and has also represented New Zealand minor associations against Australia in 1929. \ 1 ==v