Sporting and Athletic Review

Star (Christchurch), Issue 17527, 2 May 1925, Page 26

Sporting and Athletic Review

j Referring to the possibility of instituting an eiglit-oared race between I Australia and New Zealand, the Melbourne “Spotting Globe’’ says: —“Two of the main obstacles in the way of a meeting are the matter of finance and that of oarsmen obtaining sufficient leave of absence to enable them to make the journev to New Zealand so soon after the interstate race. As it would be a verv difficult matter to get together an “all Australian” crow com--1» rising representatives of different States, it will be suggested that the J crew which wins the interstate race will, have the honour of representing Australia. As difficulties must necessarily be faced in all new ventures, it is to be hoped that the conference will not allow the apparent obstacles to cloud the broader issue of bringing about such an important race as the suggested meeting at intervals of two years of a Now Zealand and an Australian crew.” The writer of the foregoing views the position out ire! v from the Australian atmosphere. ft is evident that lie knows little or nothing about New Zealand’s position. In Australia there in New Zealand there are three or four antiquated boats and the tew races that have taken place have been more or less of a scratch character. If it is a diffieul i matter to assemble an Australian crew. would it not be much more difficult to get together a New Zealand crew? Surely before New Zealand is committed to a race such as is suggested would it not bo proper to establish eigbt-oarod - racing m New Zealand? To do this would cost a. tremendous amount of moiiev m the purchase of boats and the necessary enlargement of boat houses to accommodate tin m, and" seeing that clubs at present arc severely taxed to keep financial, what would happen ii they were called upon to increase the plants by eigh t-oared out riggers and enlarge their premises? And supposing the bigger clubs did get eights, 'now many of them could lions© them and man them with bona fide senior oarsmen? It is doubtful if any New Zealand club to-dav is in a position io do so. True, the boats could bo manned with ;• mixture of seniors, juniors ami maidens, and j(, j s al.solruo that if New Zealand clubs did decide to lake up eight-oared racing they would not. expect to “get into tlieir stride” rigid nwav. Tint. ns said above would nut th® sensible course be to ■start small and work up, instead of commencing at the top by enterin'imo an agreement to meet Australian representatives every two years? One of the results of a report submitted by the manager of the Austral Olympic crew is shown in Wester.: Australia and New South Wales having discarded fixed poppets for swivels lor the Iving's Cup race which lakes place at .Melbourne to-day. while Queensland lias had a boat built on the • Hies of the craft used by the Yale' l.uiversity crew which won the Olvmpic eights. At a meeting of the Canterbury l tuou on 1 ue.sday evening, after a Imiythy discussion on the question ol i "■ replacing ol players injured during the progress of a mateli a molluu liv Or \\ . S. Seed ‘‘That no replacements of injured players should take place Idler halt time,” was carried by six to five after two amendments hud been defeated by a similar vole. Last week fhe Wellington Rugby Union discussed the question of replacements and the outcome was Llii.it for the guidance of clubs the committee expressed the opinion that the custom of replacements should be reduced to a minimum. A recommendation was also made that clubs should not replace players i u the second hall of a game. Cominentimr on the decision the “Post” says:” No doubt there is good reason for the committee s consideration of the matter. Ih© belief of some is that the custom lias grown up to such an extent that it has become a recognised practice, and with. this a certain amount of abuse is said to have crept in. I hat being so, the local management is wise in the step it has taken. It is not laying down a hard and fast interpretation of the rule; all that it does js to make a recommendation to Put alter all. Rugby is onlv sport and not business, and‘it would be a. sporting action on the part ol captains of teams to allow their opponents to fill up gaps caused by injuries to players. Looking at the matter from the sporting point of view, w hat credit is there in beating fourteen men? On the other hand, it would be hardly a fair thing for a captain to use the consent of the opposing leader in such a way as to give his team «. big advantage for the second spell of n game. The matter is one that might- still be left to the sportsmanship < f captains, but the attitude to be adopted should be the same all round. As the national hero of Finland, as a i world-known international competitor and as the most amazing runner who j ever dug a spike into a cinder track. Nurmi has had every temptation to ! perform temperamental trick* (saws an i American sports writer). That he has J kept his head and offered his services ! generously as he has is as much to i his credit as the vast collection of . world records he has hung up. Certainly no other entry has ever stirred ' two continents to as feverish athletic activity as Nurmi. Joie Ray rates a i certain amount of sympathy as Nurmi erases record after record from the books, records that the licet little ' Chicago runner had put there. .If I Nurmi hadn’t come, ghost-like, out of Finland. Ray would have gone down in the history books of the game as the greatest indoor middle distance man of his day. Tic will always be remembered by track fans as one of the best, but Nurmi has for ever destroyed the written statistical record of Rav's achievements. Clipped from the “ San Francisco ('hroniele’’: “Charles Paddock and Loren Murchison have left on a tour of the globe that will include exhibition sprinting all over the world. They will show their fleetness of foot to the .fapiine.se. thence the Chinese, and so on through the countries of Europe. In large measure this contact with the outside world should assist in cementing the entente cordiale. It will acquaint some of the Oriental countries with a sport in which they are likely none too familiar, and will show' to thousands of Europeans America from a different viewpoint. Just as it does any of us good to mix with strangers—to get ■ their viewpoints and reactions—so it is I a mighty good thing for world athletes Ito trip lightly round the globe, ac- | quainting the world at large with some jof the marvels Uncle Sam has pro- I j duced and developed.” We want topJ notchers to visit New Zealand, not so I * much in. the sprinting line, but men

who can do over 6ft in the running high jump, over 251 tin the broad jump, over 12ft in the pole vault, and who can break oOsec for the quarter, better lmin 56sec for the half and 4min S 20see for the mile. These are the type i of men New Zealand should aim to I get, and when they are got it should be ■ a part of the programme that they leave a good bit of their knowledge behind them. New Zealand has heaps of I promising material that only -wants putting into the right groove to develop into near Olympic form. When overseas athletes are brought, here, the selection should have a twofold object (1) The champions in tlieir class and (2) their cdueaiiv value. w. W. Wake fie i:, who captained England against the All. blacks, this season equalled the record of (J. N. Lowe, the famous English ccnt r e-I>liree-quarter, who gained 25 international caps. Allowing for Lbe break caused by the war, Lowe played for England from HI 13 to 10*>3 liicliimlvc. Wakotield lias been in the tea in since 1920. Makefield turned twenty-seven on March 10 last. Low c played hi.s last match at thirty-two years of age. Wakefield, however, will have a long way to go before lie can equal the figures of •Dicky” Owen, who played for Wales thirty-five times between 1901 and 3.912. He missed several games also. Continental rowing clubs evidently have a high appreciation of the value of English coaches. The first i<> bo selected was Tom Sullivan, the New Zcalander, who was engaged by the Arastel Club. Holland. Then George 13 u bear was secured bv a German Hub, and lie »as followed W ■■Was’ Harding, under engagement tu a Berlin Hub. Ei nai l v J. I ’helps, a member of the Putney family which has won four Doggett’s Cuats and Badges, has fixed up with ili«' King Wilhelm 111. Bowing Club at Amsterdam. Phelps is one of the youngest coaches who have oxer years of age. “Wag” Harding was probably 1 lie smallest- man physically who won 1 he championship of England. In 1895 be twice defeated Tom .Sullivan for the title. He stood oft 5/.in .' and weighed 9st 51b. Hi.s next match I was with dim Stanbury for tlie world’s : championship. The race took place on the Thames on July 13, 1596. but the little Englishman had no chance with the big Australian. Two months later Stanbury lost the title to Jake Gaudaur, and thus the championship passed from Australia to Canada, after being held by. an Australian for twelve years. Bill Beach won it from Hanlan on August 10. 188-1. and successfully defended it until his retirement in 18S8. Then Peter Kemp took up the ( running and was followed in turn by Seai’le and Stanbury. George Towns brought the- title hack to Australia by defeating Gaudaur in Canada on September 7. 3 901. During the long period lied ho bold the championship Gaudaur defended it on only two nc- . casions —against Johnstone and Towns. i A ladies’ regatta was hold on the i Albert Park lake, Melbourne, on April 1". the principal event being the Australian four-oared championship. Four crews competed - South Australia, Victoria. New South Wales and Western Australia avid they finished in this order. I lie regatta- w as promoted and carried out by the Victorian Ladies’ • Rowing A ssociation. Earl Cadogan. presiding at the an- j mial meeting of the Tiriiish Olympic . Association, commented with satisfaction on its present strong and stable ■ ' position. With regard to its exlev- , nal policy, iu ilie future. Tic remarked • j that public opinion appeared to be j j unanimous on the point tha% the j Olympic Games had become a far too ponderous arid unwieldy and. last but j not least, far too costly an undertaking. If they wore to achieve their purpose, and if every country, great or small, rich or poor, was to bo given an equal chance, <1 rustic stops must be taken to reduce I lie programme, and with il the cost incurred by the countries which took part. On the question of amateurism, he emphasised the fact that the International Olympic Committee, which, with the International Federations, would discuss the replies received from all. nations as to vliat constituted an amateur, had n<> intention whatsoever of forcing on the International Federations or on Hi© National Olympic ( oin mi Ltees a set definition to cover every sport in all countries. It had in view the establishing, if possible, of certain principles, which appeared to Iho majority of countries to bo sound and equitable, and to lay' those priti- j ciples on the table, to be used or not. as the governing bodies (national and international) might think lit. In thirteen-year-old Jimmy Stiff, New South M ales possesses a promising junior bowler of the Mailev type. Of 6hort, stocky build, this lad pos- ‘ sesses stamina, and is able, when call- | ed upon, to bowl over after over withI out tiring. The variety of hi.s length swerves continue- tc baffle his oppoii-

tints. Iu Ids school competition in Sydney last season. Jimmy’s average was 2.8 runs a wicket, w ith a total of 99 wickets. AVitli his State touring team in Melbourne Jimmy took 13 wickets for 72 runs, or an average of 5.5. With, the bat he modestly states that he is “uo good.” However, his present average is 41. and his batting shows a surprising variety of strokes for one so small. “Olympian” of the Aland tester “Evening (’hroniele,” refers to the sue-ivs-ps of tb<' New Zealand Rhodes scholar, A. E. Porritt, at recent unij versify sports meetings, and considers, | that the form ho showed “makes him i out to be a really good sprinter.’’ “He has run at all the short distances on the track, and won.” the writer continues. reviewing Porr ill’s record. “He has won in the short distance hurdles, lie is more than useful in the loner jump, anil, he has been'credited ivilli doing everts,, in. the 300 yards, beating another good runner, AV. Ilk Stevenson by 24 vards. He represented New Zealand in the Olympic games last July iu Paris. His forward running impressed a lot more Ilian ‘Miick’ Terry, l lib South African trainer. I remember one v'lfleruoou sitting alongside Terry watching the contests, when Porritt won a particularly line heat. Terry is, of course, an Australian, and although resident iu iSoiith Africa, still lias a yearning for homo. In between linns Jio was telling me so. and he said if eve.* lie went hack ami lie had Lo take a runner with him he would hardly drenin of going without one-—lie would like to take Porritt. In Porritt lie saw a ‘world-beater.’ and 1 trust Terry’ judgment. He has bis eye on the main chance, but 1 doubt if Porritt lias ideas ol ever becoming professional.” T wo of the three American athletes who visited New Zealand in 1922-23 Ivirksey, Merchant and Krogness——represented the Olympic Club, San Francisco. against Stanford University on March 14. These were Merchant and Krogness. The former won the broad jump with 33ft 3£in and finished third in the shot put, the winner’s distance being 49ft 2.vin. while Krogness finished third in the 120yds hurdles, won in 16sec. Play what you’ve got for everything j it’s worth is about as good a general slogan as may be found in sport. If that isn’t good enough there isn't much to do about it except to wait for another day and another opponent, when the best you have may be enough. Aou can’t save up enough abilitv to buy a championship. When a title is at stake the terms are spot cash. The big Australian Sheffield Handicap of 130 yards, known as the Stawell Easter Gilt, was decided at Easter, and all previous records were broken as regards attendances and gate receipts. On Easter .Monday, the second day. tlie attendance reached ovo" 20,000. The event was decided in twenty-three preliminary heats, Jivj ‘ semi-finals and final, and the winner ivas T. Banner from syds, with H. J. Alov, lljrvds, second, and AV. A. Alucdonald, 10yds. third. The time was 32 2-lGscc. Tlie first Stawell Handicap was run as far back as 1878. and lias been decided ever since without •> break. In 1938 the three placed men were disqualified from taking tli© prize j money through sending in incorrect | performances and no in one v was allut--1 ted. The event, however. was run ! over again in 191.9 as the Peacu Handicap. and. was open to the men not . disqualified, and was won 1-y A. Fooks. iof South Australia. The prizes this 1 year were £155, £6O, £25 and £lO. ; Walter Camp, the well-known American writer on sports, who has been frequently quoted in this column, was found dead in his room in the Hotel Belmont. New York, on Afar* h 3!. Death was due to a heart seizure. ing to him the “New York Tribune” says : -**Alr ('amp, who was throughout the country not Only for bis All-America.!.! football selections, which lie had made annually since 1889. but for liis Jiic work of encouragement to outdoor sport, his criticisms of sport, which were considered masterful, and liis allegiance to the highest code of sportsmanship He was the originator of the ‘daily dozen’ system of setting-up exercises. Air Camp’s body was discovered iu the bed m a natural posture, indicating that uo suffering had attended bis death AN alter Camp, sportsman throughout. Hie nation were quick to pay ilioviributes.” 171 addition to the practical part lie played in sports, Air Camp was an author of note, his literary efforts including fiction, books and magazine articles on sports and w ritings on physical culture. His pamphlet- “AValter Camp’s Daily Dozen” gained wide circulation, Mr Camp win born on April 7. 1859. The N atal Rugby U nion would have South Africa undertake another Rugby tour—either invite New Zealand to South Africa pjwkc a trip to England. Lor the time oemg South Africa want.;, neither (writes the South African cor-

respondent of the London “ Sportsman ’). We want a lotlg; rest from international fray, jiot only in RiSgby, but in other .sports. Since the war South Africa seems to have gone mad on touring, and this may be one rea son why instead of making progress in breeding bettc. and more athletes and footballers, South Africa has taken a backward step in producing the talent. More time needs to be spent on home affairs. At present our Rugby, in spite of the claims of many optimists. is not ail that it ought to be, and the last tour revealed many weaknesses and drawbacks which must be remedied. South Africa must not think of Rugby tours for three or four years, by which time we shall have had the opportuniiy to rebuild our Rugby on the lines of old. We have a reputation to uphold, and it would be folly to undertake trips or receive teams from other countries when it is acknowledged that our Rugby at the present period is not of the high standard attained before the war. .1 think it can be taken for granted that South Africa will not indulge in a Rugby lour for at least four or live years. Cricket is usually a peaceful, game, bin I recollect acting as scorer lor a match at Ciiiudera (.N.SAY.) which ended in the idlest free light I have over seen (v rites a Sj duey “Bullet in’ correspondent,). \i the time Cudgoti. an adjacent sugar district, swarmed with Kanakas, hundreds of whom had , journeyed to ( Inndera for the Boxing , Jfay spoi is. I lorgei whether it was part, of I lie programme or not, but a cricket match, Whites v. .Blacks, start'■d un l be green in front of Iho pub in I lie afternoon. All bands hud been imbibing freely, and it was a pretty sozzled pair of skippers who watched the coin come down. The darkle won ami sent Jimmy Solomon and Sandy I‘iji in to bat. The umpire gave Jimmy out l.b.w. to the first ball, but Jimmy refused to go out- and called the umpire a liar. Both skippers tried to coax Jimmy out, and the wicketkeeper tried to shove him out; but Jimmy stuck to the pitch and invited the bowler to proceed. "Then a misguided youth in the bar. directly opposite Jimmy's end of the wicket, attempted to settle the point with an empty lemonade bottle. Jimmy returned to the bar with compound interest in the way of speed. It missed the chap it was aimed at. but knocked a whole pint of beer out of the hands of a thirsty timber-cutter. Then the fight started. .lb raged up aud down in front of the pub for about two hou~s ; and .1 remember distinctly au old drover fading down on the job of counting the black eyes and the bleeding scalps. On'v the unholy terror tbo Kanakas had of the Law stopped the brawl. At the sight of one constable riding down Ihe road they threw in the towel, and the John flop horded them off and drove them like a flock of discoloured sheep to Cudgen, two long and dark as a- scrio’s reminiscences stretched out from the Cedgen police station, to he fined 5s each as .it passed through that hall of justice. 1 don’t remember a white hav’ng been fined, so f suppose the palefaces retained the ashes. GAMES AS A CAREER. I*IIOEESSIO XA I ASM AX 1> SPO RT. Lord Mawivc’s recent declaration that lie hopes he will never sec a professional captaining an English cricket team g res deeper than the question : Should amateurs he agreeable to plav under Jack Hobbs cr Herbert .Sutcliffe:- declares “Hoogly,” in the “Daily Mail.” It opens up the very big cuestion of games as a career for boys who are not usually thought of-—or allowed to think for themselves—in this connection. As things are, professionalism in cricket, football, and golf, for example, is almost entirely left to those who have not had the a. 1 vantage or the disadvantage (it is a matter of opinion) of public school and university life. Why? All cur leading schools and leading universities spend a great deal of time in turning out good games players who rank not least among their heroes. Public schools employ both games masters and staff professionals, towards whose maintenance fathers contribute, io help in the making of cricket and football champions. Yet, when a boy leaves his school or a young man comes .'own from his university the last thing he may do is to turn his games skill to professional account. IX is one of those things that are not done. One Knows why and one does not know why. The tradition fs that, however good they may he at games, and however thev may he at other filings, these products* of system must try t«. live by the “'other tilings. They may scrape some poor sr,, 't of livelihood as inefficient doctors, lawyers, schoolmasters. business men, but they may not make money as professional- and probably extremely good cricket ers, foot bailers, or golfers. My own small son’s idea of his future is to go to a 7 >ul>lic school and t lien to become a professional cricketer. Time may - liauge his views about cricket as a j«>! ho is only ten. Me may not be sufficiently good at the game to make money out of pTavmg it But d .e does not change his minclfi and if he does train on to firstclass cricket standards, how should T act? Should T trv to dissuade him? Should I say fliar lie would do better t.i go in for medicine, the law, journalism. the oiv’ 1 Service, business a dozen other tldngs. none of which might appeal io him rather than for cricket? Would he do better?