ITEMS OF SPORT

New Zealand Tablet, 13 June 1912, Page 31

ITEMS OF SPORT

(From our Correspondents and Elsewhere.)

GENERAL.

The N.S.W. Rugby League put its strong foot down on eighteen players in the Forest Hill v. Campsie match by disqualifying the lot for life. Instead of playing the bail they played the umpire. .

The fifth celebration of the Olympic Games since their revival in 1894 is to be opened at Stockholm on the 29th inst., and will last "until July 22. The Stadium, which has been erected at a cost of £50,000, will contain 25,000 spectators.

P. Kirwan, the Irish broad jumper, who will be one of the English team at Stockholm, cleared 23ft lOin recently, and is reported to have well beaten 24ft in private. He is the present English champion, a title he- secured with a jump of 23ft s|in.

J. A. Cuff, who top-scored for Worcestershire against South Africa the other day with 29 runs out of a total of 50, was formerly in the Herald office, Sydney, as a comp. He turned professional cricketer, and secured an engagement with Worcestershire.

A. J. Moorhouse, a well-known English motor cyclist, recently won an open 100 miles motor cycle race on Brooklands track in the fast time of lhr 30min 7sec, which is a record for England. The world's best is De Hosier's lhr 15min 24 2-ssec, accomplished on - the wooden track at Los Angeles ill 1910.

The roughest Rugby football is child's play when compared.to American baseball. Middle-aged men are not in demand for playing baseball, and even the young men are apt to be disabled in a few years. A Philadelphia news' item notes that twelve men on local teams are on the hospital list, though the season has only begun. The injuries range from fractured ankle or wrist to Strained ligaments, stiff neck, and injured back. Play that produces such results seems very like hard work.

FOOTBALL.

On account of the unseasonable weather on Saturday all the Rugby matches in Dunedin were postponed.

The following were Saturday's football results in Christchurch:— (18) beat Christchurch (8); Sydenham (9) beat Albion (3); Old Boys (23) beat College (3); Linwood (6) beat Marists (nil). Owing to the wet weather all Association football matches in and around Dunedin, with the exception of the match Kaitangata v. Christian Brothers, we're postponed on Saturday. This fixture was played at Kaitangata. The ground was in a very sodden condition, but the game, notwithstanding, was a pleasant one. The Kaitangata team led all the way, and scored 7 goals to nil by their opponents. The seven-a-side Rugby tournament on the King's Birthday at Timaru yielded a net profit of £l2O, half of which goes to the Ambulance Brigade hall fund. The South Canterbury Union Committee declines to nominate players for the inter-island country teams match on two grounds—(l) That, in view of the success of this union's representatives in recent years, it claims to be a first-class union; and (2) fixtures already arranged make it impossible to nominate players. The weather was very wintry on Saturday afternoon in Welllington, there being heavy hail and thunder storms between 2 and 3 o'clock. Nevertheless the football matches were well attended. The senior Rugby results were as follow: Petone beat Oriental by 8 to 6; Melrose beat Victoria College by 12 to 8; -St. James and Wellington drew, with no score; Poneke beat Southern by .24 to 6. In the League match Wellington beat Nelson by 19 to 6. It was a poor game. After a closely contested game in the senior competition on last Saturday (writes our Christchurch correspondent) Linwood won against Marist Brothers' team by 6 points to nil. Albion and Marist Brothers' teams

played a drawn game for the junior flag in North Park, each side scoring three points. Woodham kicked a penalty goal for Marists, and Moir scored a try for Albion. Owing to the non-appearance of the referee the President's Cup match, Christchurch' B v. Marist Old Boys was not played. The second round of the Auckland Rugby Union's senior championship competition started on Saturday in cold weather, with a few showers of rain. The grounds were heavy. City and Ponsonby were to have met in the principal match, but Ponsonby refused to play under the referee appointed, and City claimed a win by default. Ponsonby will probably carry the matter further, as they had notified the Appointment Board of their objection. Marist Brothers' Old Boys beat University by 11 points to 3, and College Rifles beat Parnell by 6 points to nil.

To the credit of the Marist Old Boys' senior team in their football match against Albion on last Saturday week (writes our Christchurch correspondent), Seabourn made a smart run and potted a good goal, which the referee could not have seen, for he did not give it, time being called, and the Marists thus disallowed the equivalent points. Playing at Sumner on the same day the Marist Old Boys' fourth-class team defeated, the. local players by 22 points to nil. Tries were obtained by Sullivan (3), Khouri, and McCormick. Khouri kicked a penalty goal and O'Shea converted two tries. In. the primary schools junior football competitions commenced last week, the Marist Brothers' School met and defeated Opawa by 15 points to nil. McLaren (2), Crooke (2), and Flood scored tries for the winners. .-,'.

HARRIERS.

There was a very satisfactory field of, starters for the St. Joseph's Harriers' three-mile novice race on Saturday at Wingatui. Messrs. Jas. Swanson and J. A. McKenzie are to be congratulated on the excellent trail they laid, considering the state of the country. The trail was once around the Wingatui Racecourse, and afterwards cross country for one and a-half miles, commencing at Mr. Andrews' residence, and over his property, coming on to the course at the south end, and finishing in the straight opposite the lawn. The course included all level-going country, fence jumps, hedges, water jumps, and ditches. John Kelly and A. E. Ahern, the limit men, made a good start, and were running very well together, till passing the half-way point, where Kelly pulled away from Ahern. Next to follow was W. Bryan, who was running very consistently, and who had gained one minute on the limit men on passing the half-way post. Next to pass the half way was W. Butcher, who was closely followed by A. B. Treacy, R. Metcalf, and C. Collins, in the order named. On reaching the half way, R. Metcalf retired. On reaching Mr. Andrews' first paddock W. Bryan, who was running a good race, forged to the front. Here also A. B. Treacy was running second, the two limit men having retired, and W. Butcher and C. Collins, the scratch man, were running a close third. On the first water jump W. Bryan had a fall, and in the meantime A. B. Treacy closed in. C. Collins was now running third, with W. Butcher fourth. The same order was maintained till coming 011 to the course, where A. B. Treacy went to the front, and maintained his lead till the finish, with W. Bryan second, C. Collins third, and W. Butcher fourth. The following are the results: A. B. Treacy (lOsec), 1; W. Bryan (SOsec), 2; C. Collins (scratch), 3. The fastest time was registered by A. B. Treacy, who covered the distance in . 18min 53sec. Treacy, who is a young runner, is a very keen member, and is the makings of a good distance runner, and will doubtless be heard of again. Mr. L. J. Coughlan, official time-keeper and starter, very ably performed, his duties. The thanks of the club are due to the D.J.C. for the use of dressing-rooms and course, to Mr. James Swanson for his efforts towards the making of the race the success it was, and Mr. J. A. McKenzie, the club secretary. V Next Saturday the run will be from St. Joseph's Hall, when the members of the club will be the guests of the ladies of the St. Vincent de Paul Society. -