HOCKEY.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 17035, 8 May 1923, Page 3

HOCKEY.

NOTES BY “CENTRE HALF.” “All matches postponed’’ was the decision of the- Postponement Committee mi Saturday and while at noon the decision was the subjoot oi much adverse comment moat hockey players were satisfied with tbe judgment of tho committee as the afternoon wore on. The postponement is particularly unfortunate for the teams having a bye as it gives them two Saturdays without hockey. The Christchurch Senior team in particular has had a. very bad start a* it has not yet had a game this season. On tlie first day of the competitioas the referee postponed the club’s match against Selv.yn on account of the wet, the club drew the bye in the second round and now Saturday’s postponement gave thorp a holiday for the third successive Saturday. Considerable diaoueekm on the question of holding an annual tournament took place at the annual meeting of the New Zealand Hockey Asaooaation and while many asaociakiona were agreeable to give the schooae a trial, most of bh© affiliated bodies required some definite information regarding the proposal*. The New Zealand Ladies’ Hockey Association has been, holding animal tourneys for a. number of years, but whether they have been of muofi benefit/ tt> th© gome is a question. Up till the season of 1920 the Canterbury Ladies’ Association endorsed the principle of hold uig annual j tournament* and entered, one or more teams each season. The experience gained at the 1920 tourney, which was Jwld at Gisborne, proved to the satisfaction of the Canterbury Ladies’ Executive tournaments were not in the best interests ©f either the game or the players. A* far a* the finances of the Gisborne tournament were ooncorned it is doubtful if ever a hookey tournament paid so well, as after all expenses had been paid and a fair percentage handed to the New Zealand Ladies’ Hookey Association, the sum of L4b odd was paid to each of the exanpeting associations. As against the success of the Giaborne function tbe tourney held in Ohriatchurch in the previous season only yielded a few shillings credit to each, competing association. In holding tournaments for men, there is the question of players, obtaining leave of absence to cover travelling -and a week’s play. Most associations would find it difficult to secure the services of their best eleven on that account. The idea- of a separate tourney- for each island seems the better proposition on account- of the reduction m travelling and fewer entries and therefore Jess time to complete the tourney. However, the matter is to be gone into by the committee shortly and some definite scheme brought forward. *•* The rules ior governing the secondary -school* competition have been held over for discussion by a general meeting ol delegates to the N.Z.H.A. on May 22. The suggested rules provide tor holding a tournament in each island this season for the purpose of deciding the first holders of the cup Jt is suggested that the winners- of ; each tournament should meet, and that the winner should hold the cup. When 1 the first holder of the cup has been decided such association shall hold the trophy subject to the right of challenge by any other association. The ; cup is open for challenge by any association, but the players in teams must be pupils of a bona fide secondary school in the district under the jurisdiction of the competing associations No doubt a competition for the secondary schools would bo very useful. With respect to hockey at primar;. schools oue of our primary schools masters, who was associated with the ; game for a long time, in reply to •> question as to why the boys in his school were absent- from the competitions this season, created surprise by stating that the boys were disappointed at not being awarded a trophy for winning the primary schools five-a-sido last season. Surely this should not be so as the cost would bo small. Fo„* many years the past president Air AY. Simpson, provided a small silver medal to each boy in the team winning the lowest- grade. ft- is not to be expected that the president should have to meet this responsibility regularly, arid now that the subject has been ventilated it

should be very easily adjusted. The game must not be permitted to suffer from such a small matter, big no doubt to the boys, but a trifle to the a-sso-