SPORT AND SPORTSMEN.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 18469, 22 May 1928, Page 9

SPORT AND SPORTSMEN.

Followers of the Rugby game on the West Coast will have the opportunity of witnessing three first-class representative matches this season, says a Greymouth writer. Tlie games I>eing played in the club fixtures have proved to be of such an interesting nature that the Rugby centre are quite confident that the code will attract great public support and gain a high standing throughout the West Coast by the finish of this season. X X K The Sydenham Rugby Club's senior B team have had very hard luck this season. They have been beaten in each of their last three games by a margin of one or two points. With the veteran Jack Young, who has represented Canterbury in both Rugby and League football, and also in cricket, as captain and coach, the team is working together wonderfully, and the players, though young and iight, are an exceptionally keen lot. It is a pity that they should have had so many setbacks so early in the season. « :: West Coast have entered a challenge for the Seddon Shield, at present held by Nelson, and it is the first challenge. The game will be played early in July. The definite date will be arranged at to-night’s meeting of the union. With the material at their disposal. West CoS should have a fair chance of bringing the shield back with them. “The Waimairi League Club have three more teams than last year entered in the schoolboys' grade. Next year there may be more, as the code is growing fast,” said the secretary of the Canterbury Rugby League (Mr S. M. Richardson) at the meeting last night. The statements were made during a discussion upon a proposal that the Waimairi Club be asked to change their colours,, in view of their similarity to the Addington jerseys. The proposal was adopted. Writing on April 12, the London correspondent of the “Star” said: English cricket, and that of Yorkshire in particular, has suffered a great loss through the death of Roy Kilner. He had spent the winter in India, fulfilling a coaching engagement with his Yorkshire colleagues. Robinson and Dolphin, and on the voyage home he contracted enteric fever. lie was seriously ill on arriving in London, and he was taken to his home near Sheffield by ambulance. The disease was acute, and he died in hospital within a week. Kilner was a typical Yorkshireman, big-heart-ed and at his best in a crisis. He was one of those of whom a famous taptain once said: “Give me a few Yorkshiremen round me, and we will fight our way out of any difficulty.” It has always been a regret of A. E. R. Gilligan that he did not include Kilner in the first two test matches during the last Australian tour, because of the wonderful spirit which he showed in the other three games, and the heartening influence he had on the rest of the team. He w’as only thirty-seven years of age. Kilner joined the Yorkshire eleven before the war as a forcing batsman. Afterwards, when the death of Major Booth in France, and the retirement of George Hirst, had reduced the bowling strength of the side, he cultivated slow-spin bowling, and by hard work he made himself a big asset to the attack. Indeed, he became the bowler to open it, and, whilst deadly on rainaffected pitches, he could peg batsmen down even on good wickets by his accurate length. It was in his favour that he was not afraid to be hit. He never lost his length through loss of heart. X X X The drive in bowls is a knack, says an Australian writer. I would say to the beginner who wants to become a champion: Don’t attempt any sort of a drive for the first three months at least. Get your thumb over the running surface, as near as possible, and, in order to do this, play with a smaller bowl if needs be. Never mind what you hear, the thumb grip is a mighty asset in bowls. It gives you touch, power, direction, spin and command. The nerves are at the points of the thumb and fingers, hence the advantage as against those who “sit” their bowls in the palm, and place the thumb at the disc. A special message from Genoa, by the Australian tennis writer, J. B. Hawkes, says:—“The Australian Davis Cup players are naturally disappointed at their elimination in the first round Crawford’s illness probably cost Australia the match, liis presence should have turned the scales in the doubles and in the singles against Stcfani. I consider Patterson’s effort against De Morpurgo one of the finest 1 have ever seen. lie nearly won the tie with his own racquet. Crawford will rest for a week jin preparation for the French championships." k Next Saturday will see three senior Rugby League games on Monica Park, for the first time in the history of the park. The third ground has provided by changing round the No 2 ground and its adjacent areas, and marking out two grounds, each of which is slightly shorter than the main No. 1 ground. The three games have been arranged for the one park in view of the City Jubilee celebrations. Sydenham and Addington will meet on the No. 1 ground. Waimairi and Hornby will play on No. 2, and Woolston and Marist on No. 3. x ss S. Clegg, the Canterbury representative Rugby League player, played his first and last game in Canterbury last Saturday, when he was the best back on the field for Sydenham. Clegg is leaving for Reefton, where he will probably join up with the Inangahua thirteen, for whom he played before coming to Canterbury some two seasons ago. Clegg was rice-captain of the West Coast team of two or three years ago, and was recognised as one of the star backs on the Coast.