SONGS, HAKAS AND NOISE.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 18453, 2 May 1928, Page 4

SONGS, HAKAS AND NOISE.

TRAINING COLLEGE TOURNEY STARTS IN CITY TO-DAY.

To the tune of ditties such as “ The Egg of the Old Brigade” and " Twas Only An Old Beer Bottle,” twelve young men attired in many and varied fashions marched in crocodile fashion through Cathedral Square this morning. Their appearance, as well as the noise made by twelve lusty throats, attracted the attention of people in the vicinity. The presence of these young men and their hilarity proclaimed the- fact that the annual tourney between the representatives of the Christchurch and Wellington Training Colleges had commenced. Those people who happened to be at the Christchurch Railway Station this morning when the ferry train arrived were also made aware of the fact that some event of importance was proceeding in the Training College student world. The Wellington Training College team, about seventy strong, arrived this morning and was given a hearty and rowdy welcome by a large band of Christchurch students. Halcas, war-cries and songs were exchanged, and the spirit of fraternity and welcome was manifested in a manner very entertaining to the public. The gathering broke up in hilarious manner, scrimmages taking place between the male students. The only function on this morning was a combined executive meeting. This afternoon the tournament opened with the tennis matches played at Wilding Park. The only transport available for the big crowd assembled in the Square was the. ordinary business tram to Wilding Park. As the tram carried no trailer, the capacity was taxed to its utmost, and even with some dozen students taking precarious footholds on the tram running-board, about forty or fifty of the unlucky ones were left behind. Several solved this difficulty by chartering the han-som-cabs which repose in front of the Cathedral. The antics of the students, their songs and hakas, and their peculiar predicament regarding transport, gave amusement and entertainment to the large crowds passing through the Square at about 1 p.m. At Wilding Park, the visiting team

was tendered an official welcome by Mr J. E. Purchase, principal of the Christchurch Training College. Tennis, boxing, debating, swimming, hockey, athletics, basketball and football are the events included in the tournament, and two points for each event are awarded for the tournament shield. The boxing bouts will be decided at 6.30 p.m. to-day. and the debating will be judged at the Training College Hall at 7.30 p.m. Tennis. Four men and four women comprised each tennis team, the matches being played on the hard courts at Wilding Park. Singles, doubles, and combined doubles matches were played. The standard of tennis was high. The matches were watched by a large crowd of spectators, comprising tlic students from the two colleges.