SPORT AND SPORTSMEN.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 18545, 20 August 1928, Page 9

SPORT AND SPORTSMEN.

F. Snodgrass, the Nelson wing threequarter, who was hurt in the InterIsland game on Saturday, is not seriously injured. He ricked an ankle, but should be all right again in a few days. Mr J. E. R. Smith, who died on Satt urday, was a most popular school master, being a keen worker in the world of primary school sport. Cricket - was Mr Smith’s favourite game, and besides being the schools’ representative on the Canterbury Cricket Association l for many years, he took a great interest - the boys of the school to . which he was attached. He was particularly successful with the Waltham l School boys and turned out some pro- , mising top-notchers, including the Syd- . enham senior, E. A. Gasson, jun. Mr Smith’s death will be greatly felt by the Public Schools’ Association. : Mr W. P; chairman of the Wellington ]’« all Association, who [ was present a. Blandford Park, Auck- ■ land, on Saturday, stated that Wellington was prepared to accept a challenge from Auckland for the English i Football Association trophy and would agree to play the match in Auckland. He considered that September 8 would . be the most suitable date. Mr Duncan r stated that Wellington has a very strong representative side this season and he was confident that the trophy ’ would be successfully defended. The probable players for Auckland are al- ’ ready in training under the direction of the sole selector, Mr A. P. Neesham. ss :: 25 Only two more matches in New Zealand remain to be played by the English Rugby League team. They will put on an exhibition game at » Invercargill on Wednesday, an^*^ill > play the final test at English "Park next Saturday. Both New Zealand s and England have won a test and ■ Saturday’s contest will decide who arc > to be the champions. T By winning the fifth grade League r championship on Saturday, the Woolston team have gained the decision after four matches with Addington, the ' runners-up. Both teams had won all ' their matches up to the time they first met this season. Woolston won [ the first bout by 7 points to 2, Adding- ■ ton won the second by 8 to 5, and the { third was a drawn game. The fourth was played on Saturday as a curtainraiser to the Hornby-Marist jsenior „ grade game. The Woolston third grade - team also won their competition this year, with eight championship points ? to spare. This team won in the sixth grade three years ago, were runners-up in the fifth grade the following season, ' and annexed the fourth grade chaml pionship last*year. Much of the suc- ' cess of the two combinations has been ‘ due to the work of the club captain and coach (Mr C. Tillysbort), who is • leaving Christchurch shortly for Dur.- • edin. i 25 :: 2: * Nomads defaulted to Technical Old Boys in their English Cup game at ■ English Park on Saturday. The der fault was threatened by the Nomads i Club if they were put on at the Oval. * Trouble arose earlier in the season be - tween the C.F.A. and the Nomads Club ; over barracking, but was apparentlv , successfully settled. It is feared that . a position similar to that which arose | between the C.F.A. and the Sunryside Club three years ago wifi again arise 1 and result in the Nomads leaving the ’ Association. It is understood that only a few of the older members of the club are dissatisfied, most of the younger ’ players being willing to continue in the | game. sc 2* It has often been contended that a . fairly good male tennis player, especially if he is a good smasher and volleyer, is more than a match for the i best of women players. Times are ; apparently changing, and it will now have to be admitted that some of the world’s best women players are more than a match for some men, even those who have recently won championship honours. For instance. Miss Helen Wills played an exhibition match at the North London championship meeting against D. H. Williams, and beat him 9-7, 6-4. Williams won the championship of Wales last year, and is the Gipsy Club's champion player. At the North London hard court championships, played at Highbury, this year, Williams gave Rene Lacoste a good match in the fourth round, which Lacoste won', 6-2, 4-6, 6-3. The value of Miss Wills’s victory over Williams can be gauged from the latter’s performances. The United States golf team, of which Mr “Bobby” Jones is now captain for the first time, is as follows: Mr R. T. Jones, Mr Jess Sweetser, Mr George yon Elm, Mr “Chick” Evans, Mr Francis Ouimet, Mr Harrison Johnston, Mr Watts Gunn, and Mr Roland Mackenzie. With the exception of Messrs Evans and Johnston, who take the places of Messrs Guilford and Gardner, the American team is the same which played against Britain at St Andrew’s in 1926, winning an exciting contest by six matches to five, with one halved. se k The New Zealand Golf Council has finished the task of allotting standard scratch scores to all clubs. While the suggestions of Mr Redhead have been given attention, they have not been altogether adhered to by the council. Each club has been notified of iLs standard scratch score. The sco/es range, in championship courses, round about 74 or 75, with the exception of Hamilton, which is 77. Coming down to the smaller courses, some of which do not run to half the standard size, the scratch scores are belov/ 70, half of the strokes allocated being cn the basis of two putts on each green. •*# J 5 25 Jim Corbett today is one of the most popular figures in sport (says an American boxing writer). Tall, erect, athletic-looking though past sixty, you could never guess within ten years of his actual age. How would Corbett and Tunney, each at his best, compare in the ring? Corbett undoubtedly was the better boxer in his prime. Ke had greater natural speed of hand and foot, quicker reflexes, a more baffling way of stepping in and out. Tunney is the slightly better puncher, because he hits from a better balance, and Tunney is the harder to hurt, more rugeed more durable, and somewhat more grimly determined to stick and win. Corbett cculd have been a fa: .ett r puncher than he was if he had not sacrificed punching balance for speed for the art of getting in and out as he jazzed and rapped. Tunney isn’t a smashing slugger, but there is much more behind those short jolts of his, backed up by a heavy shoulder, than the onlooker would imagine.