OUT DOOR SPORTS

Observer, Volume 2, Issue 49, 20 August 1881, Page 571

OUT DOOR SPORTS

— Parnell and Newton both play strong teams this season. — Leckie scored a goal and tonch down for for Parnell agninst St. Stephen's school. — Newton defeated Ponsonby fifteen last Saturdaj' by eight to four. — The Auckland fifteen play against a Waikato football team at Hamilton on Saturday. — Ponsonby got two and Newton four touch downs last Saturday. — McPherson played well fov Newton last Saturday. One touch-down was placed to his credit. — The Christclmrch Amateur Athletic Club sports take place iv October. — Stodart's yacht Sabrina has been taken up at Logan's yard. North Shore. She will be overhauled there, and prepared for the ensuing season. — Parnell defeated St. Stephen's school in the football match last Saturday by a goal and try (six points) to nothing. — The Christchurch Athletic Club has given an order for a beautiful Ladies' Challenge Cup, to cost £100. It will be competed for during the ensuing year. — The Wellington Rugby Union can play no interprovincial football matches this year, through the grouud being out of order. — There will be no time allowance in the •chainpiou scheoner and larger sailing races at the next regatta. — Sharland's bat will be presented to Lynch next Wednesday evening at the Thames Hotel at "eight o'clock. Cricketers, roll up ! — The all comers had a good team last Saturday, and scoring was difficult, Wilson Skeen almost succeeded in getting a touch-down, but Webster interfered in the nick of time. — The fifteen selected to play against Waikato defeated a team of All Coiners on the Domain Cricket Ground last Saturday by two points to nothing. — The Waikato team this year is said to be a strong one. There can be no doubt that it is decidedly heavy. — A correspondent under the subriquet of "Didyrnus" writes to a London paper, offering to be*; £500 that no amateur in the world can beat 10.5-th sees, for a hundred yards race. — A Trades Rowing Club, with about thirty members was formed at Christchurch last week. And yet, although we have better facilities for indulging in .the manly exercises, our clubs languish terribly. — Several footballists who were expected to form part of the team to play against Waikato were unable to get away, but no difficulty was experienced in filling their places. — The Auckland team selected to play against "Waikato on Saturday is not by any means a weak one, and the Waikato will have to work hard to secure a victory. Our representatives certainly appear to be capable of protecting their laurels. — The twenty -four hours' -walking match at Duuedin resulted in a victory for Crofts, who completed 116 miles 22 laps. Wanfield succeeded in doing 107 miles 1 lap, and Druinniond 90 miles 15 laps. Two of the competitors retired. — The Interprovincial Football match between Otago and Canterbury will take place at Christchurch on the 27th instant. Both teams are in heavy training. The Otago .men did a walk to Mogiel on a rocent Sunday by way of exercise. —A football match between the employees of , Messrs. E. Porter and Co. and T. & S. Morrin is on the tapis. Messrs. Morrin's people put their rivals through at cricket, but Porter and Co.'s assistants hope to have some show as kickists. —Really something should be done to keep the onlookers from trespassing on the football ground during the course of a game. Several times lately we have noticed intruding youngsters knocked down by the players, and a fatal accident may result before the season is over. — Further letters received in reference to the intended visit of the English cricketing team confirm the probability of it arriving in this colony during the month of November. It is, however, doubtful whether they will commence the series of matches at Auckland or Invercargill. —An effort was made last Thursday night to have flying starts in the sailing races at the next regatta Several members, however, considered that one of the prettiest sights in connection with the races was seeing the vessels get their canvas on. After some discussion a motion providing that vessels should start with their head sails down was negatived, only two votes beiii" recorded in its favour. " — During the last few months the turf on the Domain Cricket Ground has undergone considerable mprovement, thanks to the efforts of the Trustees. It s, however, a pity that steps are not taken to level oil: the ground on tho out-skirts of the field. It is still ■ rough, and, unless something is done to improve the difficulty of fielding, long drives, leg- hits, etc., will bo as reat as last year — Now that the rowing season is drawingnear, it would be well if a meeting were convened ■by the captain of the senior club to arrange a programme for the season. A little co-operation might have the affect of attracting a large amount of attention to rowing during the summer months. The experimentof an afternoon regatta, with plenty of previous notice ' s worth trying, ' ;

— As there is considerable probability of the English cricketers playing here within the next twelve weeks, would it not be as well that football matches during the remainder of the season should be played on the Metropolitan Ground. It is very undesirable to have the turf on the Domain cat up now, when the rainy season is nearly over. The alteration in the route of the Princes places the Metropolitan Ground once more at the disposal of footballists. —The premier cricket club of Duneclin, disgusted at not being able to obtain any rights over tho oval on which they have hitherto played, have decided to disband, and their affairs have been wound up. Hitherto they have been spending money putting the ground in order during the cricket season, and have hud the mortification of seeing the result of their labours completely destroyed by football clubs in the winter, The City Council were unwilling to give anyone power over the reserve, and consequently it will probably soon become a mere waste. — Sweeney and Harry Thomas played Courtney and O'Brien at handball on Saturday for a fiver aside, little Harry plainly showing he was tho best player. They never tossed a ball to " Batty," so he had very little to do. and even that little was not well done. Courtney and Gleeson then "tackled" Sweeney and little Harry (the prize being a meerschaum pipe), but Sweeney and Harry were again victorious. Courtney played very "false." Subsequently Gleeson and Sullivan proved victors over " Butty " and Lynch for another meerschaum. — Gisborne has been distinguishing itself in leather-kicking. In the match between the Town and Country teams, the former won by a goal and two tries to nothing, being in much better form. On the 6th the groat match came off between ihe Gisborne and Napier teams, which were respectively aa follows : Gisborne— Cook, E. Bloouifteld, Barnes, Berry, Mill, F. Arthur, Albert, Bourne, Bwen, Pavit (2), Te Ka.ni, J. White, White, jnnr., and Wyllie. Napier— Beggs, Bostock, Duncan, Dove, Edwards, Gibbons, Grace, Kennedy, Lanango, Mowbraw, Potts, Parker, Price, St. Hill, and Witcombe. Mowbray won the kick-oil for Napier, and sifter some smart play obtained the first goal for his side. The weight told severely against Napier, however, in the subsequent play, Gisborue ultimately winning by a goal and four tries to nothing. The match was followed by a supper. — The proposed Inter-Island football match appears to have been abandoned in consequence of the want of ground at Wellington. According to the Pout, "it was decided at a meeting of tho Wellington Rugby Union Committee to postpone all the football matches arranged to be played in Wellington this season with other provinces. The Committee were very reluctantly compelled to take this step owing to the action of the Basin Reserve trustees in levelling the whole of the ground, instead of part, as was originally intended, and beforft the Newton ground was ready. The footballers have thus been deprived of any ground, on which matches or practice of any kind could be held, as, although it is possible to obtain a paddock at the Hutt, the latter will only serve for local matches, fit which no charge is made lit the sates. The matches arranged were with Auckland, Wanganui and West Const, NelsoH, and probably East Coast teams ; and n combined team from Canterbury and Otago would have met a combined North Island team. The season, we are informed, would have been undoubtedly the most brilliant ever known in New Zealand, and the Wellington team this year being exceptionally strong, some good and closely contested matches migit hare been expected. — A general meeting of the Regatta Club was held last week for the purpose of adopting the revised Rules and Regulations us recommened by the Committee. The Rules and Regulations are almost the same as those of last year, the only alteration worthy of notice is in the time allowance for vessels sailing ir the champion race. Last year the rule was as follows : " Brigantines to allow no time. Bonafide topsail schooners to allow half time. For the purpose of this rule, all vessels under fifty tons shall rank as fifty tons." Tbis year I find the Committee have done away with all restrictions, time allowance, etc., ha.ye decided that all vessels shall sail on their merits, aud the vessel who comes in first, whether it be large or small, takes the prize. I hardly think this is a wise step, as in some instances the small vessel has the advantage over the large, and the large over the email. It greatly depends on the wind and in what quarter it is blowing, but taking it all round I think the larger vessel has decidedly the best of it; therefore, I think it is far better to have a little handicapping so as to bring them on equal terms as far as it can possibly be done ; however, this is the first year there has been no time allowance, and I shall certainly look forward for regatta day with great interest and see how the change acts. I think the club can congratulate themselves in having the Committee they have, and I feel certain a better working Committee could not be got together. I hear the Committee are to meet shortly to urrnnge the programme for 1882. It is to be hoped they will not Ir.ive so many roces as last rogstta, viz., twenty-one. Fourteen should be quite snflic -at; Mid have have the champion four-oared race row "I in gnuwale gigs — do away with outriggers altogether. The harbour is not adapted for these clnss of boats, as proved in the _ champion four-oared race last regatta. For a champion i owing race I would suggest a whaleboat race. I feel ccrt';..i there would be a great many entries, and the public would take great interest in the matter — in fact it would be the race of the day. Action.