OUT DOOR SPORTS

Observer, Volume 2, Issue 46, 30 July 1881, Page 516

OUT DOOR SPORTS

— Efforts are to be made for the formation of a Press Rowing Club. — Paniell defeated Newton in a football match ou Sat urday. — The interprovincial football match between Christen urch and JDunedin is lixed for August 27th. — "Blower" Brown, the long distance performer, is said to be on his way to Australia and New Zealand. — The drop-kicking of Braund was very good on Saturday and well-merited the applause it received. — The indefatigable secretary of the Ponsonby clnb did not put in an appearance on Saturday. — A club for cricket, tennis, bowls, etc., to be called the Lancaster Park Club, is projected at Christchurch. — North Shore played well last Saturday. They defeated Graf ton by two tries to nil. No goals were kicked. — The annual cricket match between Harrow School and Eton College was won by Harrow with 112 runs to spare. — Sims and Mearns both secured tries for North Shore last Saturday. The dribbling of the latter was remarkably good. — Martin and R. Skeen, who secured "tries" for Ponsonby, were noticeable throughout the game for some really good play. — A football match has been arranged between Auckland and Waikato, and it is expected to eventuate on August 20th. — "Butty" showed to advantage in the handball match on Saturday last, but could not see the fun of accepting the "boss's" challenge. — Was the Ponsonby umpire not at fault in pulling Lees off the ball when Martin claimed the touch at the top of the ground on Saturday 1

— " Offside " play was again noticeable in the Ponsonby and Auckland match, and in one instance Davey, who touched down for Ponsonby, was given "offside." — The Christchurch footballists thought the proposal to send a team to Sydney this year was premature, and consequently decided to have nothing to do with it. — Burgess must surely have been asleep on Saturday when he lost such an excellent opportunity of getting the ball to goal. Perhaps he will measure more closely next time. — The Auckland Football Club appear to be getting "beans" this season. Ponsonby boys were too much for them last Saturday, and Avon by two tries (four points). — On May 4th the Marylebone Cricket Club had 2579 members. During the previous season 95 matches had been played, and of these 42 were won, 36 drawn, and 17 lost. — Carter was on the ground on Saturday, how is it he did not play ? Auckland can ill afford to lose him, for his short runs and punts come in at the right time. — The Auckland full-backs were not a bit of good on Salurday, neither one of them could collar, and they missed several catches in front of the goal, thus allowing Ponsonby to score. — The want of a couple of good umpires or referees is much felt at football, and people who are looking somewhere else when they should be watching the game might be dispensed with. — It is understood that negotiations have been commenced for another sculling race between Hearn, of Wellington, and Messenger, of Australia. Several Wellington gentlemen intend backing the former. — The following players will do battle for Auckland against North Shore on Saturday next : — Henderson (captain), Lynch, Dufaur, Culpan, Lees, Moginie, Croxton, Fisher, Stewart, Campbell, Pearson, Carr, Gordon, Gill, McKay, and Bindon. — The proprietors of the London Sportsman intend replacing the cup which recently became Hanlan's property, by another of greater value (£200). It has been decided that it shall be first rowed for on the Tyne during the coming season. — It was scarcely judicious to give both the tries to Jim Braund last Saturday. Although a good player in the Held, he can scai-cely be expected to have developed the judgment and power necessary for an attempt at goal. His kicks were, however, good. — Hosmer and Warren Smith intend visiting England during the summer to enter for some of the annual events. Ross is willing to row cither- Smith, Hosiner, Courtney, or Riley for £100 or £200 a side. He is said to be anxious to try conclusions with Hanlan, but can find no backers. — When the stakes in the championship rowing match were being paid over at Wellington, mention was made of the probability of an interprovincial regatta this year, but it was thought unlikely that it could be got up at Wellington. The oarsmen of the Empire city have only to come to Auckland on our Anniversary day, and they will find an interprovincial regatta prepared ready for them. —Some very sensible suggestions were made by the captain of the Auckland Football Club in a letter to the Canterbury Rugby Union. He proposed a Football tournament at Wellington, and the consideration of the foundation of a New Zealand Union, with annual competitions and challenge cups. He said that Nelson and East and West Coast players had promised to be in Wellington on the occasion of the tournament. — The projected trip of a New Zealand football team to New South Wales has fallen through. Christchurch and Dunedin declined to take part, and Wellington and Auckland did not feel called upon to venture alone. When the proposal was first made public I pointed out that it would be absurd to send a team composed of representatives from all parts of the Colony to Australia unless the team played in the other colonies as well as in New South Wales. The same view of the matter was taken by the South Island clubs. — By a letter received from an Australian in London, who takes great interest in Australian sporting matters, we learn that Trickett is in splendid buckle, that he has altered the fittings of his boat materially, and rows with shorter sculls inboard. He has also discarded the rudder, and rows with his feet encased in shoes screwed on to the stretcher ala Hanlan. He must have been rowing in fixed shoes when he capsized at Saratoga. The practice is a very dangerous one, and ought never to be adopted except at regattas, where assistance is always at hand, — A four-oared rowing match between employees in the Evening Star office and Mr Atkins printing office has been arranged to take place on the afternoon of Saturday next, August 6th. The crews are : — Star, Comyns, stroke ; W. Jennings, No. 3 ; W. J. Ged*dis, No. 2 ; A. Reid, bow ; H. Didda.ms, cox. Atkins, C. Brown, stroke ; Keats, No. 3 ; Phillips, No. 2 ; Van Amburg, bow ; Mills cox. Both crews are in active training. There is some uncertainty regarding the respective merits of the boats in which they row, and the losing crew is entitled to claim another race with changed boats on the following Saturday? — An exciting handball match was played last Saturday at Gleeson's Ball Court in the presence of a large number of spectators. Courtney and O'Brien v. Sweeney (champion of Auckland) and Gleeson. Sweeney, having won the toss, commenced the play by a very unlucky "handout," and Courtney and Co. won the first leg, after a very hard fought game, by 15 aces to 12, Gleeson taking the lefthand plaj r in really fine style. Sweeney again won the toss for the second leg, but could not make headway against Courtney's powerful left-hand play, consequently Courtney and Co. won the second leg by 15 aces to 9. As the game was to be decided by 'the best two out of three legs, Courtney and O'Brien were declared the winners. ACTiEON.