HARRIER CHAMPIONSHIP

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 79, Issue 201, 26 August 1936, Page 4

HARRIER CHAMPIONSHIP

N.Z. CROSS-COUNTRY TITLE The big event in the harrier world, the New Zealand cross-country championships, are to be staged at Auckland next Saturday. Teams have been entered from Otago, Wellington, Hawke’s Bay-Poverty Bay, Canterbury and West Coast (N. 1.

By

JOG-TROT”

Wanganui's interest will centre around the West Coast (N.I) team which contains three members of the Wanganui Harrier Club. C. Weller, A. Bourgeois and K.- Johnston. This year's event will commence and finish at the Ellerslie racecourse. The championship shield was won by Auckland at Wellington last year. The individual championship was won by J.W. Savidan, of Auckland, New Zealand representative at past Empire and Olympic Games. Running on its home course, the Auckland Centre team will be difficult to beat. On the form displayed this season the West Coast team is a strong one and should be well to the fore. The centre’s hope in the individual , championship rests on the shoulders I of C. Weller. Each member of the I team is fit and well and with an exI cellent combination, should be serious [contenders for the teams’ title. Hill, [Bromley, Smith, Bourgeois and JohnsHon should finish within 30 seconds. C. Weller is representing the West Coast for the sixth time, K. Johnston has been selected live times, F. Hill three times, D. Smith three times while Bromley is making his first appearance in a West Coast team. A Bourgeois is appearing for the third time. Saturday’s road race held by the Marton Harrier Club was a good run fot members of the West Coast team and proved that their selection was justified. D. McPherson, who is to manage the team, was the first man home to secure a well-merited win. The team is fortunate in securing a man of Mr. McPherson’s experience as manager and the value of his training was borne out in the success of the Marton Club at the recent West Coast championship meeting at New Plymouth. In Saturday's road race at Marton, the West Coast team finished in good time. Weller secured fastest time and F. Hill (Marton) second fastest time. In the road race conducted by the Wanganui Harrier Club on Saturday the sealed handicap yas won by J. Harrison, who thoroughly deserved his win. J. Northover registered fastest time and showed that he is almost back to his form of two years ago. L. Dromgoole, a new member of the club, put up a good run to run second in the sealed handicap. Next Saturday two trophy races will be run in conjunction. The juniors will run in a handicap race for Mr. Roland Young's trophy and the seniors will hold a handicap trophy race. The race will commence from the Aramoho Boating Club’s shed at 2.30 p.m. The West. Coast, team will leave Marton Junction at 7 p.m. to-night for Auckland. The Wanganui members, Weller. Johnston and Bourgeois, will meet at the Wanganui Post Office at 5 p.m. largely for weight, will rely on Hodgson in the back to steady them. Both the side row forwards, while the above six weld, will then have glorious opportunities to break. That does not mean, of course, that Hodgson will not break as quickly as the others. He will enjoy freedom, although less than Bridle and Windon, to get over the opposing backs in possession, but much of his breaking will be aimed with the idea of covering defence. Bridle and Windon will go up into the Wanganui fiveeighth line, whereas Hodgson may drop back to cover his own backs in their attack or tackle Wanganui's backs if they elude the first thrust made at them from the ‘Australian scrum. Last Saturdays matches were disappointing to Wanganui. Taranaki once again proved superior, back and forward. Conditions at New Plymouth were not at all good, however, and the A team escape criticism on the ground that they were not suited to the mud. The Wanganui B team, however, was a well beaten side. Some of the forwards played well and some of the backs, but there was nothing to inspire anybody. Wainui-a-rua is to be congratulated on maintaining the Rugby spirit m the reaches of the river. It is years since that union could put a team in the field such as that which played Wanganui C on Saturday. The Wanganui combination was lucky to win. There is a good deal of promising material in the Wainui union and more matches against teams of similar calibre would do much to encourage the players in that region. _ "jack Duncan, age or no age, is still the best half-back in Wanganui. That is a grave indictment of younger players. He can get the ball away quicker than any of them, tackles well and can stop rushes very effectively Experience has been a great guiding hand to Duncan, of course, and it is hoped that the younger placers get chances to improve themselves. Comment made last Saturday in this column is reiterated. When a B or a C team is selected the players chosen should be young players, not the old who have served the union well at the top of the tree in the past. Howard, of Wainui. is a promising half, and Hunter is looming prominently in the rep. region. * The Kaierau Club is holding its annual ball to-night and one of the largest crowds of Rugby enthusiasts ever assembled in Wanganui will be present. Members of the Australian touring team are to be the guests of the club at the function and the game of the day will be "played over again.” It is appropriate that Gay Lockett, who is to lead the Wanga-

Members of the Y.M.C.A. Harrier Club held a pleasant run from the residence of Mr. and Mrs. A Chambers on Saturday afternoon. The club appreciated the hospitality extended to its members by their host and hostess. Despite the muddy condition of the course, the times returned by D. Wadey and T. Collings were good. Perhaps this is the finest effort Wadey has made. He should i improve with each run and be in a position to make his presence felt in next season’s big races. It will be interesting to see how he and Collings run against each other I next Saturday. * * * ; G. Couchman ran a particularly line race last week and, with a handicap lof 3.40, secured fourth fastest time. His actual place in the handicap was third. With a little more graining, he would be able to effect a considerable improvement in his running. P. Dawson was unfortunate. Had he not taken a wrong turning and covered an extra 200 yards, he would have been the winner. He ran a well ljudged race and did remarkably well 'considering that he had no running lor training during the past three (weeks. He had a handicap of 4min. land made good use of it. He should prove an asset to the club in next (Saturday’s race. | M. Church is improving with every (run. On Saturday he ran particularly , (well over the first four miles. With : !a handicap of smin. he was fifth man ' home. ! S. Butcher was out on Saturday after a lengthy spell. He would im- ( prove his running by 100 per cent, if Iho only took the sport more seriously. He has the build and action for cross--1 country running. ♦ w ¥ * E. Carveil, the track sprinter, turned out on Saturday for an easy run to assist him in preparing for next season’s track work. Geoff. Bourne and J. Patterson were [unable to run on Saturday. It is hoped they will be able to turn out ion Saturday for the inter-club run jwith Palmerston North. C. Harper iis still out. of luck. His leg has set [him back but he is wise in not placing too much strain on it. He has [many more years of running ahead of | him yet. * I Next Saturday's inter-club run with i Palmerston North Y.M.C.A. should [prove interesting. The Palmerston ’North Club is bringing 16 runners and I will arrive at 2.15 p.m. The race will 'start from the Y.M.C.A. building at 12.45 p.m. and will be held over the 'club’s championship course. [ The return run will be held at I Palmerston North on September 19. On Saturday night a social and dance is being held in the Y.M.C.A. hall. During the week-end a party of : club members went for a hike over | the hills at Makirikiri. Arrangements : are being made for a visit to Mount ' Ruapehu, probably during the first week-end in September. Members are asked to be at the Y.M.C.A. building at 2.15 p.m. on Saturday as it is desired to start the race promptly at. 2.45 p.m.

nui team to-day, Is also captain of Kaierau. A happy evening is predicted which will afford My Lady some of the compensations due to her because of the gar~''’ <: on the menfolk.