Sports Calendar For Holidays

Wanganui Chronicle, 20 December 1950, Page 8

Sports Calendar For Holidays

Within a few days much of ■ New Zealand’s industry and trade will come to a temporary standstill while people embark on their Christmas and New Year vacations and celebrations. Sportsmen and sports fans are usually well catered for and the present holiday period is no exception. The variety of organised sporting activities in Wanganui this year is not great, many local enthusiasts being drawn away by the Canterbury Centennial Games, but there are still several major tournaments and fixtures scheduled to be played. Following are the main national and Wanganui sports and racing attractions over the holidays:— NATIONAL EVENTS Centennial Games. Programme for the Canterbury Centennial Games, which begin on Boxing Day, is:— < December 26: 2 p.m.—Cycling at English Park; 7.30 p.m.—Swimming at Olympic Pool. December 27: 2 p.m.—Athletics at Lancaster Park; 7.30 p.m.—Swimming at Olympic Pool. December 28. 2 p.m.—Swimming at Olympic Pool; 7.30 p.m.—Cycling at English Park. December 29: 2 p.m.—Athletics at Lancaster Park; 7.30 p.m.—Swimming at Olympic Pool. December 30: 2 p.m.—Athletics at Lancaster Paris. January 1. 2 and 3: 11.30 a.m.— Rowing at Kerr’s Reach. January 1 and 5: 8 p.m.—Boxing at King Edward Barracks. January 1 and 2: Centennial Games Athletes compete in a special meeting at Timaru Caledonian Ground. Racing.— Highlight of the holiday racing will be the Auckland Racing Club's four-day summer meeting at Ellerslie, where the £12,000 Auckland Cup will be at stake on Boxing Day. Also prominent will be the Auckland Trotting Club’s summer meeting with the cup race on December 27. Of more local interest will be the meetings at Palmerston North, New Plymouth, Marton and Stratford. The Manawatu Racing Club’s meeting will be held on Saturday. Tuesday and Wednesday. December 23. 26 and 27; the Taranaki Jockey Club’s meeting on Saturday and Tuesday, December 23 and 26; and the Stratford Racing Club's meeting on Saturday and Monday, December 30 and January 1. The usually well-natronised Marton Jockey Club’s New Year meeting will be held on Monday and Tuesday. January 1 and 2. Cricket.— The Second Test (England v Australia) will he nlayed at Melbourne on December 22, 23, 26, 27. 28 and 29. The following Plunket Shield games will be nlayed in New Zealand over the holidays:—Canterbury v Otago, at Christchurch, December 22, 23. 25. 26; Auckland v Wellington, at Wellington, December 23. 25, 26, 27: Wellington v Canterbury, at Wellington, and Auckland V Otago, at Auckland, December 29, 30. Januarv 1,2. Tennis— For the first time Wanganui is to be the venue of the annual New Zealand Catholic tennis championships and Watson Shield competition. It. will be played on the St. Mary’s and Gonville courts, beginning on Tuesday. December 26 and continuing until Saturday, December 30. Outside entries are a record for the fixture. The annual Wanganui lawn tennis tournament will also be played over the holiday period. It begins on the Wanganui club’s courts on Saturday, December 30, and continues until about Thursday, January 4. Entries close on Thursday. December 28. Cricket.— Arrangements are being made for a Rangitikei team to come to Wanganui on Saturday, December 23 to play a Wanganui senior A side. The Wanganui colts will play a senior B eleven. Both matches will be on Cook’s Gardens. On December 26 and 27 a Wanganui cricket team will play Manawatu at Palmerston North and on December 29 and 30 the Victoria University College eleven will play Wanganui on Cook’s Gardens. Rangitikei will play Manawatu in a Hawke Cup elimination match at Marton on January 1,2 and 3. In preparation for that match Rang! - tikei will play Feilding at Marton on December 27 and 28. Rifle-shooting— The North Island rifle championships, which will be conducted on the Putiki range on Boxing Day, have drawn more than 100 entries from among the country’s best marksmen. Bowling.— Major Wanganui bowling event over the holiday period will be the Wanganui Centre's annual three-day Christmas tournament, which begins on Tuesday, December 26. Play will be on the Wanganui, St John’s and Wanganui East greens on the first day, on the St. John’s Gonville and Wang’anui greens on Wednesday, and on the Wanganui East, Wanganui and St. John’s greens on Thursday. Athletics.— On Saturday night, December 30, the Wanganui Amateur Athletic and Cycling Club will hold an open sports meeting on Cook s Gardens. Large entries have been received from local and visiting athletes and cyclists for the programme, which includes athletics, field events, handicap cycling and an invitation spring cycling series. Softball.— Softball comnetitions in Wanganui will be suspended over the Christmas and New Year holidays. A local representative team will travel, to Christchurch for the national championships which will be conducted from January 1 to 6. Rowing.—With large contingents of oarsmen representing the clubs at the Canterbury Games there will be little activity on the river. On New Year’s Day. however, crews not at Christchurch will pav their customary visit to the annual New Plymouth regatta. Fray 8.8, St. Bruno, Night. Owl 8.7, Profane 8.5, Flying Sovereign 8.0. Welcome Guest 7.12, Suner Flight 7.11, Kosher 7110, Dunkirk 7.9, Arctotis, Balkins 7.8, Baygundi 7.7. Elofa, Dark Chief 7.3. String Band, Finance, Cogi'ation, Bobby Dazzler, Broie, Hobgoblin. Lecturer. Nullah. Spice, 7.0, Valley Gold 7.0. Bracket: Spice and Valley Gold 3.35. Stewards' Handicap of £500: one mile.—Prawns 9.1, Waicoe 8.13, Open Sky. Thornbridge 8.12. Dark Courage. Formation 8.10. Robinfave, Cipher. Johnny Peep 8.8. Brutus, Detract 8.7, Benevolus. Infatuate 8.6, Mount Barker. 8.5, Salma Royal 8.4, Great Wav 8.3, Beaugard 8.2, The Lum, Addition, Royal China, Don’t Listen 7.13. 4.25: President’s Handicap, of £500; one mile and three furlongs.—Beau Soir 9.0, Zarcon 8.11. Night Abbey 8.10, Upshot 8.8, Munlockie, Reformed 8.5, Lights On 8.3, Home Circle, Redlo, All Hurrv 8.1. Salamander 7.12 Betula 7.10, Whittaker, Salma , Chief 7.8, Golden Air, Strathaird 7.7,