HIGHLIGHTS OF SPORTING EVENTS

Waikato Times, Volume 126, Issue 21041, 17 February 1940, Page 18 (Supplement)

HIGHLIGHTS OF SPORTING EVENTS

Cricket, Bowling, Swimming, Rowing, Tennis, Yachting, Polo, Amateur Athletics, Gun Club Shooting.

Rowing Titles Today Chief interest of oarsmen throughout New Zealand was centred today in Wellington where the New Zealand championships were decided. Particular interest was displayed in the form of the New South Wales eight, which was seen in action at Hamilton on Anniversary Day and at Mercer the week following. Incidentally, the visitors considered the Hamilton course on the Waikato River first class for competitive rowing. While the New South Wales men showed at Hamilton that they are definitely a first-class crew, they have subsequently been overshadowed by Union (Wanganui), which appears to be in first-class form this season. At Hamilton tho New South Wales men definitely showed that they are superior to any eight-oar crew in the Auckland province, but Union secured the honours at the Auckland championships at Mercer early in February and again at the Wanganui regatta last week.

Union had the advantage, however, of more practice as a crew and no doubt that may have accounted for the margin. At Mercer, Union beat New South Wales by half a length. The more training the New South Wales crew secured the better was their performance, and at the Wanganui regatta last Saturday the margin in favour of Union was only half a canvas, and it is important to notice that Union secured a slight break at the start of the race, which may have given a slight advantage.

Today’s event at Wellington was looked forward to with interest because, if the water were good, the New South Wales crew may have secured that little extra training together which would have improved their combination and given the crew excellent chances of turning the tables on Union.

Little Between Them A particularly close and interesting game of bowls was played on the Hamilton East club’s greens during the week. It was between two well-known club players, J. Hynes and M. Sklenars, the game being one of the series in the club’s handicap singles competition. After see-saw-ing all through the game of 31 up, Hynes in the last head won on a measure by one point. Australians 9 Clean Sweep As was generally expected, the visiting Australian tennis players made a clean sweep at the New Zealand Centennial championships at Wellington, J. Bromwich winning the men’s singles, Miss N. Wynne the women’s singles, Bromwich and Crawford the men’s doubles, Misses Wynne and Coyne the women’s doubles, and Bromwich and Miss Coyne the combined doubles. The tournament was marred throughout by bad weather conditions, which worried the Australians probably more than the New Zealanders. To those who saw Bromwich and Crawford in action in Hamilton there could never be any doubt as to the outcome of the men’s singles. Bromwich had his revenge for his recent sensational defeat in straight sets by Crawford in the Australian championships when he reversed the issue at Wellington. Considered by many who saw him here to be superior to any player who has visited New Zealand since Tilden, Bromwich proved irresistible against the veteran Crawford at Wellington. Throughout the tournament, Crawford jwas a favourite with the spectators and his sound manner should be an education to young players. Champion Lady Player

Form which was seen in the exhibitions by the Australian tennis players at Hamilton was repeated in the case of Miss N. Wynne, who proved herself head and shoulders above other competitors in the women’s singles at Wellington. No one w r ho saw any of the three Australians. Misses Wynne, Coyne and Hardcastle, in action could hold that the standard of women’s tennis in New Zealand was very high. Compared with the Australian visitors, New Zealand players lack the very rudiments of a strong attacking gamestrong and accurate driving, sure net work and consistent smashing. Miss M. Beverley (Waikato) has the stroking equipment but falls short in consistency.

New Zealand’s last and, judged by the calibre of the opposition, somewhat forlorn hope of wresting a title from the Australians came when C. Angas and A. D. Brown, Auckland, met Bromwich and Crawford in the men’s doubles final. To the disappointment of the spectators, the New Zealanders were outclassed. Promising Boxing Talent Although the boxing season in Hamilton is still a month or two away, an early and enthusiastic start with training has been made by about 16 boys who are attending Johnnie Summers’ school twice a week. Keenness is the keynote of the pupils and, with capable instruction at the hands of the former British and Australian champion, many of them are showing definite promise and should be difficult to dispose of during the 1940 season. During the first few weeks alter the school was opened the boys were systematically taught the rudiments of boxing (each being given individual tuition), and went through a course of physical exercise, without any of them even having sparring practice, the tutor adopting the attitude that they would not meet in active encounters until they v/ere fit to do so. The value of this practice has been seen in the last couple of weeks, when the boys have been paired off and have met in two-round bouts as lively and as active as any that could be seen at a tournament. The correction of faulty punching, and the development of hard blows which has been brought about by the use of the boxing pad, were evidenced this week in a number of the encounters. Some of the boys who had a good deal of success in the ring last year have now improved considerably and may be expected to acquit themselves creditably in the coming season.

New Competition The executive of the Whitiora Bowling Club is to be congratulated on the introduction of a new competition at the club’s greens. The new competition is a full-rink one for firsts and seconds and is designed for the training and testing out of young players. So far the competition has been eagerly contested and much new talent, which otherwise might have passed unnoticed, has been discovered. Often potential skips go undiscovered merely through lack of opportunity to display their prowess. The -Wait Shields, presented by Mr J. Wait, the club’s oldest member. are the trophies for the competition. Yacht Club Racing: With yachts from Auckland, Tauranga and Hamilton clubs taking part, an interesting regatta, will be held on the Hamilton Lake, under auspices of the Hamilton Yacht Club next week-end. On Saturday four races, the club handicap, the visitors'

I Bowls Championships I Good progress has been made with i the club championships at the Whitii ora Bowling Club. In the singles I championships, .Crowhurst, who has ! been playing good bowls, has two lives, while Davis and Choat have I one life. With the completion of the | third round of the championship pairs, Crowhurst and Frost and also J. A. Nelson and Ibbotson have two lives, while Woodhall and Choat, together with Morris and F. R. Booth, have one life.

Advice to Young Athletes No boy of 18, 19, or 20 should attempt to run consistently record shattering times in athletics, in the opinion of the Australian distance runner, Gerald Backhouse. “This advice is given in a friendly manner, because I have seen too many young athletes of rare promise fall by the wayside through trying to do too much,” said Backhouse, who is 27. “I have found that the hardest problem for a youngster to overcome is the enthusiasm to emulate the performances of more matured and experienced athletes. I am inclined to think that, while inter-school athletics are excellent training, they too often are the grave and not the cradle of an athlete. This applies to distance and middle-distance running, and not to sprints. “I know of one lad who at 16 years of age won a 440 yards event in 48, world time, but two years later he was beaten in 50 seconds, and had no prospect of improving on that performance,” Backhouse continued. “Athletic associations need new blood. When they get it, they should see to it that the blood is not spilt, but is retained to help the athlete remain an athlete. My idea is for a promising 440 yards, 880 yards or mile runner to drop out of competitive athletics for a year, and bring himself on gradually. That will develop him for the major events that are ahead. A youngster, coming from school to club or championship athletics, often finds himself disillusioned when he is pitted against athletes df experience. Then irreparable harm is done.”

J. R. Page Commands Battalion

Probably best known to New Zealanders as an All Black of ability, Captain J. R. Page, of Invercargill, has been promoted to the rank of lieutenant-colonel, and he will accompany the third echelon of the Second New Zealand Expeditionary Force in command of a battalion. He is at present in camp at Trentham.

Lieutenant-Colonel Page has had a brilliant sporting and military career and has reached his high rank at the age of 31 years. He entered the Southland Boys’ High School in 1922 and was a junior national scholar. In that year he was junior athletic sports champion, junior tennis champion and junior champion marksman. In 1926 he was school company ser-geant-major and head prefect of the school. He was a member of the school Rugby team throughout his period at school, and in 1926 was captain. In the same year he was athletic sports champion. After leaving school he was sent to Sandhurst Military College with a New Zealand military scholarship and after 18 months’ training he joined the King’s Own Yorkshire Light Infantry. He was a member of the Sandhurst Rugby team which toured France, and while with his regiment he played for the Army and was a reserve Scottish international. On his return to New Zealand in 1929 he joined the New Zealand Defence Permanent Staff with the rank .of lieutenant, and back in his own country gained his greatest Rugby success. He represented Wellington province and the North Island, and ir. 1931 gained All Black honours, playing for New Zealand against Australia at Auckland. In 1932 and 1934 he was a member of the New Zealand teams which toured Australia, being vice-captain of the latter team and captain in the field when F. D. Kilby was not available. His Rugby career was closely linked with that of Kilby, with whom he played in his first year at the High School at a time when the school enjoyed notable success in the secondary school tournaments. On his return to New Zealand from Sandhurst he joined the same club as Kilby in Wellington and was associated with

him in many subsequent clubs, provincial and international matches. He travelled with the All Blacks to Britain in 1935, but an injury prevented him from playing in the team. About two years ago he was promoted to the rank of captain. He is one of the youngest senior officers in the New Zealand Forces.

handicap, the “frostbites” and the general handicap, will be decided, and on Sunday two races, the general handicap and the women’s race, will be held. On Saturday the races will start at 2 p.m., and on Sunday a 1 10.30 a.m. The women’s event is timed to start at 2.30 p.m.

ATHLETES CALENDAR

(By “ Nurmi ”) February 17— Auckland Relay Championships, at Auckland. February 24—Auckland Track and Field (Senior) Championships* at Auckland. March 2—Auckland Junior and Women’s Championships, at Auckland. March 8, 9—N.Z. Championships, at Wellington. March 9—Fourth Waikatos, at Steele Park. March 16—Kaipaki; also N.Z. Junior and Women’s Championships, at Christchurch. March 23—Te Kuiti and Matamata. March 25—Tauranga and Ngongotaha. March 30—Thames. April 6—Morrinsville.