SPORT AND SPORTSMEN.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 19154, 21 August 1930, Page 9

SPORT AND SPORTSMEN.

Hitherto it has been the popular impression that the more lurid forms of gambling are confined to bowls and the ponies. Thanks to the untiring efforts of Sydney’s press, it has been discovered that the canker has bitten deep into golf. A shocking condition of things was revealed the other day with the publication of a story showing that the unhappy addicts of the game in the neighbourhood of Sydney were accustomed to gamble feverishly in terms of golf balls. Tragedy rose to its supreme heights when one player laid another 1000 goif balls to 1 he would beat him. The Victorian Rugby Union is to have its match with the British Rugbv Union team after all, and so is West Australia. The game against Victoria is set down in Melbourne for September 13, and the West Australians will get theirs a week later before the homing tourists embark at Fremantle. Two previous British Union sides have, played in Melbourne, Stoddart's 1888 combination beating the Melbourne R.U. 15-5, while Mullineux's 1899 tourists mopped up Victoria by 30 to niL Though they have had an occasional win. the Australian Davis Cup player* have been making a very doughy showing in German v. especially in singles matches, wherein most of them have gone under in the feeblest lashiott to second-raters of the Stefani and Malfroy class (says a writer in the Sydnev' “Bulletin”). Jt is stated, that the team has not yet received the expected invitation to play in the American, national championships au Philadelphia. Its performances in Europe have beer, pathetic enough without adding to the tragedy by similar exhibitions in America. There is a movement aloot in Sydney* to compel golfers taking part in inter-club matches to attire themselves in uniform with the club colours. Footballers and cricketers do this habitually, while Solomon in all his matrimony was not arrayed like unt*» bowlers. The American professional* taking part in the Ryder Cup match in Britain this season wore a tastelul confection of dark blue flannel with a blue and crimson pullover and white shoes. The idea is worth adopting. The ill-timed visit of the New Zealand Rugby League footballers to Australia has prorved a more emphatic wa c h-out than the gloomiest expected (says a Sydney writer). Both the NSW. nr*J Queensland Leagues, which sponsored the tour, were doubtful from the first as to its success, but something bad to be done to offset the visit of the British Rugby Union team tp Sydney and Brisbane. Tfic M, a°nianders came to Australia ±UWD in debt to the N.S.W. Rugby League So far in Queensland and N.S.VG. their »at’es have been far below this, and their travelling cost&the *r an< * running to over £2OOO. The . loan is. a first charge on the takings of the visitors.