WOMEN'S SPORT Maori women may have been slower than their pakeha sisters to take advantage of the independence and scope for initiative which followed the introduction of universal suffrage, but in recent years they have made up much of the leeway. It is in the sporting world that this trend is most noticeable, and if one discounts Rugby football it would be fair to say that our women have been considerably more successful than the men. One of the country's best all-round women athletes for 1953 was a young Maori girl from Auckland, Miss Janie Maxwell. We are told that in the National Hockey Tournament this year she displayed outstanding ability. We are told also, from a most authoritative source that if the New Zealand team which is at present in England, had been chosen this year instead of at the end of last season, she would have had every chance of being included. Miss Maxwell played for North Island in the Inter-Island fixture at the end of the tournament.

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Her ability, however, does not end with hockey, as the following week saw her at Palmerston North with the Auckland Indoor Basketball representatives, who beat the favoured Wellington side to win the New Zealand title. Janie was selected for the North Island team to play South Island, and also won a place in the New Zealand team which played the Rest. This was a very great honour for a young player, and we wish her every success for the future. Incidentally, the Wellington team which won the North Island Tournament and was runner-up in the New Zealand Tournament, included two Maori girls. They were Rangi Wallace, an exceedingly mobile roving guard, and Mahi Potiki, who is now reaching the veteran stage, as she first represented Wellington in 1942. Another veteran at the tournament was Mrs Smith, of the winning Auckland team, who was chosen for the Rest against New Zealand, and who must be one of the few New Zealand women to have perfected the difficult hookshot. In the swimming world, Maoris are looking for great things from the brilliant young back-stroke exponent, Moana Manley. She showed excellent promise last season, and we hope that this development will continue this season.

TENNIS The 1953 Tennis Tournament was held at Rotorua during Easter week, but unfortunately it was abandoned at the semi-final stage owing to rain. The only event completed was the ladies' singles, which went to Miss M. Dewes, of Auckland. We understand that the remaining events are to be completed on the first day of the 1954 Tournament, which has been set down for Easter, at Gisborne.

DEPARTMENTAL SPORT In the sporting field the staff of the Maori Affairs Department has not been idle. In Wellington the men, most of whom were Maoris, won the Public Service Rugby Tournament without having their line crossed. They beat the Post Office in an exciting final, 3 - 0, at Athletic Park. In winning the Public Service Basketball Tournament for the second consecutive year the girls completed a notable double for the Department. Their team, also, was composed mainly of Maoris.