N.Z. BASKETBALL TEAM

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 80, Issue 190, 13 August 1938, Page 4

N.Z. BASKETBALL TEAM

THE TRIP TO AUSTRALIA RULES WILL BE A BOGEY The founding of the New Zealand Basketball Association in 1924 was the first milestone, and now, 14 years later, comes the second achievement —after a lengthy period of waiting for a convenient time and place—the organisation of a New Zealand team to travel to Australia and take part in the all-Australian inter-pro-vincial basketball tourney to be held in Melbourne this month. A prospective team was chosen after the New Zealand inter-provincial tourney in Christchurch in 1936, but only now have the efforts for an Australia tour come to fruition. Rules Will Be a Problem There is one* difficulty to be overcome on the tour and that is the question of rules. Our players will have to modify their game and conform to Australian rules under which all games in the tourney will be played. Our forwards will certainly reap an advantage in the Australia nodefending game. Rules in New Zealand are now unified, but there was a time, about 1915, when rules were so different that games even between neighbouring towns could not be played. There is a conference in Sydney at present on international rules, which it is hoped will be the first step towards uniformity throughout the British Empire. Miss M. E. Armstrong, president of the New Zealand Basketball Referees’ Association, will be present at this conference, and before going to Melbourne with the New Zealand team she will spend a fortnight in Sydney. During this time she will gain an insight on the Australian game in order to be thoroughly conversant with the type of game before the conference and the tourney begin. On her return Miss Armstrong will be able to pass on to New Zealand referees Incinvaluable experience she will thus gain. The First President Other officials accompanying the team are Mrs. R. S. Mclnnes, first president, and also organiser of senior basketball in Southland, and Mrs. 11. D. Muir, who will act as coach and manager. Mrs. Muir is the president of the New Zealand Basketball Association, and it is interesting to note that Mrs. Muir, Miss Armstrong ano Mclnnes are three of the live original members present at the inaugural meeting of the New Zealand Basketball Association in 1924. Mrs. Bain Challis, of Otago, will also accompany the team. The Dominion can put utmost confidence in this team. Individually tne team has some truly outstanding players, and collectively they should be able to work up some smart combinations. On July 25 the team assembled in Wellington for 10 days’ training prior to their departure. As the players arrive about five days before the tournament starts, a country tour has been arranged, and this will enable the team to gain confidence in playing under the Australian rules. Once this bogey has been overcome, they should give a good account o. themselves. Weather conditions ir. New Zealand are generally rnoie rigorous than in Australia, so tht New Zealand girls should stand u t to the climate easily enough. But win or lose, the first New Zealand team will certainly carry with them the best wishes of the Dominion’s basketball world for an enjoyable and successful tour. (Auckland Star). Since the above was written th team has begun its series of match' winning the first (against New Sou. Wales seconds) by 19 to 16.