HOCKEY IN EGYPT.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LXII, Issue 144671, 4 May 1915, Page 4

HOCKEY IN EGYPT.

NEW ZEALAND TEAM’S SUCCESS. A hockey match was played in Et'ypt recently between a team of New Zealanders and tlm CJesdra Sporting Club. Tills was the (irst match ever played by a Now Zealand hockey team outside the Dominion, so that considerable interest octne'ied to tlio event. .Most of liic jucmUws of the Now Zealand "team r;cre .VueWiaudevs. Amongst them was W. Jl. Johns, i.'.w Auckland repreKcnlatire forward, and-bo sent details of the match to Air. L. If. Norton, chairman of the AueJtlaad Hoekev .Associu•lioo.

Tif? New Zealand team was composed as follows;—.Goal, R. ii. .Sparrow (late Areta); full-oach.,. T. G. Jackson (University), W. *V. Jones (University); half-back's, L. It. Thomas, .1, K. Rotter (University). A . F. Yates (Ponsonby ); forwards, 11. B. RhJnrnrlh (College Uifiesj. C. M. Newman (Mount Edou), J. IV- MnJdoon ( V/ellington), AV. 11. Johns (Wniuii), W. C. Hinfmor (.Mount Eden). Tite New Keabndcis_ivon by five goals. to oiif 4 , and tho Egyptian Mail, in referring to the match, said: “The game opened very fast, the New Zealanders soon getting into their stride, and were quickly in the vicinity of their opponents’ circle. The visitors were first to score, Newman netting after ton minutes had expired. The. same player put in.a second goal with the half only 17 minutes old. Almost immediately from the centre hully O’Grady was put in possession hy ,\ nice forward pass by Kidd, and shooting from the edge of the circle snored a fine goal for the club. No further scoring took place before the interval. “With tile second spell only five minutes old. Rimmer added a third goal for his side with a cross-shot. Tho visitors were now complete masters of the situation. Johns scored his side’s fourth goal niter 18 minutes’ piny, while MuJdnon added a fifth seven minutes from lime, which arrived with the New Zealanders comfortable winners by 5 goals to 1. The visitors, who were playing together as a team for the first lime, put up a lino game, and were much quicker on the ball chan t >eir opponents. The whole of their defem** was good, the hacks tackling and clearing their lines well. Their forwards also combined well, and were a bustling quintet.” In tho course of an interesting letter to Mr. Norton, Mr. W. H. Johns says: “You will be pleased to hear that tho Auckland hockeyites, though scattered broadcast through all the different arms, of the service, have formed a hockey team, which, judging by its first performance, is in for a successful season. With the canal business things have been very uncertain up till now (Februarq 22), and very little olfort lias been made in tho way of sports. Then the infantry, and with it R. W. Harry and A. G. Ihuldiloy, is still at the canal. However, with the arrival of W. M. Jones (tho Now Zealand Rhodes scholar), with tho Home Now Zealand contingent, we thought we could arrange a respectable, team. I noticed that the Gerira Sporting Club has boon having all its own way with the English Territorials, so challenged li, with the result stated. Wo hired cabs and enjoyed a delightful drive through Cairo across the Nile to tho ' hockey grounds. The ground, though very hard, was splendid—fine, level tii-f. consequently the game was fast. V-. M. Jones supplied us with a set of ‘All Black* sweaters, so we turned out \*i!. Tho game itself was tip-top hockey, vho ground helping to make it so. Cur opponents knew how to play ..short passes, and were tricky, but the splendid back play of Jones kept their score down ; he was quite at home, and they canid not pass Idm.

‘•The club’s grounds were interesting, containing dozens of teams courts, chiefly sand, golf Jinks cricket patenes, and chief of all the polo ground. The whole of the grounds, acres and acres in extent, were beautifully laid out with gardens, hedges, an 1 Trees. Jt was haid to believe we wore in the hind whore ‘it never rain-'.’ The - club rooms wort, luxurious, the club F the nio*t exehrvvo in. Egypt, iis members being ibc Imperial ofiicciT. of tbe permanmU army of occupation, and those from the C'ouHneut who prefer and can make their winter residence in Cairo.”