OUT DOOR SPORTS

Observer, Volume 2, Issue 52, 10 September 1881, Page 619

OUT DOOR SPORTS

fF — A Bar of Islands Eegatfca Club was started at Russell on Thursday evening. — A cricket club has been formed by the male school-teachers in Auckland. — A sailing club -with eighteen members has TDeen initiated at Napier. — It is intended to form a cricket and football association in Waikato. —The final heat for the Walker-Whisky Trophy will be rowed over the Paramatta course to-day (Friday.) ■ — How- is it we don't hear any more of Mr Moss' question in the House as to leave* for footballers to use the Government House paddock for their sport ? — The match between the Albert and Stanley Football Clubs on Saturday, was won by the former by four touchdowns (eight points) to nothing. — The Auckland Football Club hare received a challenge from the Parnell club. What will "'captain Torn" think of this ? — The Hamilton Lawn Tennis Club has resolved to set apart the tennis ground for the exclusive use of Indies one day in each. week. • — Hobson secured two touchdowns by very good play for the Albert Club on Saturday in a match against the Stanley. — Ponsonby's second fifteen defeated the Grammar School in a football match on Saturday by two points to nil. — Three youngsters, living over the water rode from the North Shore to Lake Tnkapunn, and back in twenty minutes the other day. Bather a John Gilpin performance, wasn't it ? — Preparations arc being made for the boating season, and several of our pleasure fleet are now being put in sailing trim. The Observer was placed in the water at Freeman's Bay this week. — The news of Laycock's defeat by Rush, in the sculling match for the championship of Australia and £200, caused considerable sui^rise in Auckland, though we know the former was ill. — The banks play their match to-morrow. A good game, with plenty of fun, is anticipated. The Bank N.Z. have Colbeck, Whewell nnd Spencer, three first-clnss men, while the combined banks have J. Webster, E. <fc A. Beale, and Campbell, all good players. Betting is slightly in favour of the combined. — The cricket season will be opened as soon as the weather settles by a match footballers v. cricketers, when I expect to see a good contest, as most of our knights of the leather are ditto of the willow, and T. Mackay, Lynch, Bindcm, Arneil, and others will make •the non-kickists look alive to beat them. — The Auckland Amateur Athletic Club will "hold its fourth annual general meeting in the club room at the Thistle Hotel, on Tuesday evening next, at 8 p.m. ■committee meeting will be held at 7.30, previous to the general meeting, to pass the accounts and prepare the balance-sheet for presentation to the members. — We hear that a football dinner to wind up ■the season, is being talked of. It is a first-class idea and ■should meet with the approval of all the clubs, as a reunion of this sort would show the good feeling existing among footballers. A pleasant drive to Otahuhu, dinner in Host Willis' well-known stylo, and then home again, Is first-clnss fun. Some three years ago a similar dinner was held and enjoyed very much by everybody. — The football season is now over — that is, as far as the first-class clubs are concerned; indeed ,the match last Saturday fell through, owing to some of the heavy weights having had enough of it. A few players rolled up in hopes of a game, and after having punt about for n while, adjourned across the hill to witness the Pnrnell and St. Stephen's clubs at it. Various were the opinions ftbout the play, the " scragging" being strongly condemned. — Walter Jones is spending a great amount of energy, some money, and a trifle of skin oft' his knuckles, in fitting out the clipper yacht Flora for next boating season. He has had her carted up to his yard, and stripped the copper off, put in new garboard streaks and ■three new planks on each bilge. She will make a better pleasure boat than the Magic, being decked and coppered, and the "boys" will have many a jolly cruise in the little boat during the coming season. — Logan, the boat-builder at the North Shore has just turned out a yacht which will measure about 12 tons. I think I am safe in saying she is without doubt the prettiest thing ever seen in Auckland, in fact, the work that has been put into her cannot be surpassed. Her cockpit is pannelled with kauri and cedar, there are two doors which open into a large cabin, the height being over 6 feet from floor to ceiling ; she is also fitted with lockers, bunks, forecastle, etc., which will make her one of the most comfortable cruisers here. She has a long, overhanging counter, and eainbre keel. Judging her as she looks in the shed she promises to be a healer, .and I don't think anything in Auckland will come near Tier. She was originally built for a Fijian chief called Lala, but I hear Governor Gordon countermanded the order, and she is now therefore on Logan's hands. — The Regatta Club has acted wisely in placing a champion sculler's race on the programme for the next ■aquatic festival, and it is to be hoped that the members will see their way clear to making the prize for that event a substantial one. Should they do so, there is no reason why the entries should not be numerous, in (fact, the race might be made an annual championship one. If a good prize is offered, two of the Whites will probably come from Mercury Bay to compete. Several Northern Wairoa men, who are now practising, are desirous of meeting either Albert White or his .brother George. Additional inducement to visitors is •afforded by the fact that the race at Mercury Bay, for •which Mr Carina has offered large prizes, takes place on December26th, and theDargaville championship sculling match eventuates about the same time. Therefore, within a few weeks, several important rowing events, each of which will probably be for substantial amounts, will be decided within the provincial district of Auckland. A visit from Hearn, the present champion of New Zealand, and several Australian scullers, is on the cards. — In another column will be ftmnd the preliminary programme for the Auckland Regatta, which is to be held in January next. The first race on the programme is the champion trading race, which will be looked upon as the race of the day. This ought to brings together a large number of vessels and I hope to see a good race. Next year all the sailing-masters will have to keep their weather eye lifting, as the committee have done away with time allowance, and all sail on their merits. I also notice the champion outrigger race is done away with, and a very proper thing too. The committee have very wisely substituted a gunwale gig race for all comers. This ought to be a good contest, and I hope to see Auckland Thames, Mercury Bay, Kaipara, and the Bay of Islands If we get five crews together it will remind one of the old days. There is also a race for the rowing clubs, and I do hope the different clubs will enter into this with a little better feeling than they did last year. There can be no squabbling over the amateur business now as the Regatta Club have adopted the Rowing Club's definition of an amateur. The amateur sculling race ought to bring out a good few competitors and I shall look forward to a well-contested race. The scow race is again on the programme next year, but if there are not more entries than there were last year, the committee ought certainly exclude this race for 'the future. This being only the preliminary programme, I will not comment on it at a very great length, but will ■wait till the programme is finally fixed, and then go into the separate races more particularly* Now is the time if any of the boating men wish to make any suggestions or get anything done, for when once the programme is fixed, it cannot be altered. lam glad to see the committee have cut the number of races cut down. As the lißt stands now I think the starter will have his work •cut out tojget through in one day.