SportSports Round-up by Kara Puketapu

Netti Davis New Zealand's Ladies' Table Tennis Champion was Te Ao Hou's sportswoman of the year for 1962. Netti has retained the national title for the past three years and at only 19 looks like wearing the crown for some time yet. No doubt she is looking forward to the winter season, now close at hand, and is likely to be harder to beat than ever.

Peter Snell Snell, who broke the 880, 800 metres and one mile records, all within the space of a few days has done a tremendous amount for New Zealand sport.

John Reid Reid, that unpredictable man, also created a world record when he hit 15 sixes in a total of 296 during the 1962/63 Plunket Shield series.

Bruce McLaren No. 1 driver for the Cooper Works team and third in the 1962–63 world championship.

Brian Reidy and Bill Harrison Outstanding Rugby League players who did so much to give the Kiwis their crushing wins over Great Britain. The same can be said too of Herewini, Yates and Nathan for their part in the defeat of Australia in the 1962 Rugby season.

Doreen Porter An Aucklander who, apart from being the most photographed girl at the Perth (Empire) Games ran second in the hundred yards. Others who helped to keep New Zealand's name to the forefront of international sport during 1962 were, Don Clarke in Rugby, the young boxer Kino with fine performances at the Games, Vic Haddon, Murray Halberg, and Marise Chamberlain and the Maori golfer Godfrey who after excellent amateur performances turned professional. There was very much more and the few mentioned above are a fair indication of the progress made in New Zealand sport in 1962. ? I would like to pay a special tribute here to the late James Grbich, the well-known Rugby player who was killed in a motor accident last year. Jimmy was born in the Kaitaia district and educated in Hamilton, later coming to live in Wellington. He was always to the fore in Rugby activities wherever he went, and he will be missed by very many of his fellow rugby players and I am sure, by the numerous spectators who enjoyed Jim's type of rugby play. He was a gentleman on and off the field and a true ambassador for the Maori people. This article is being printed in January and by the time Te Ao Hou is published in March some of my speculations may probably be disproved. However it makes speculations more exciting. In the 1962 roundup only few Maoris were mentioned in dispatches—but looking at 1963, perhaps?

Ruia Morrison On her present form, after winning the North Island ladies' single tennis championship, Ruia will win the National ladies' single tennis title for 1963. Ruia is showing zest and determination that she lacked in 1962 when finishing runner-up in the National champs. I think if she comes back into form Ruia could still make a place for herself as one of the ‘greats’ in international tennis. Anyway here's hoping.

Godfrey Well he is now a pro., and after the settling-in period he will I am sure perform as well if not better than New Zealand professional Charles. Godfrey has youth, talent and determination; all he needs is experience to capitalize on his brilliance and New Zealand will have another outstanding professional golfer. To the young aspiring Maori golfer, Godfrey must be proving a tremendous boost.

Doreen Porter Doreen has certainly proved she has got what it takes to compete at international level. We will hear a lot more of Doreen and I think this year there will be a number of women's national sprint records being created by this young and brilliant sprinter.

Herewini and others If there are not at least six Maori Rugby players in the 1963 All Black side then there are a lot of players I have never heard of—and I have heard of all the good ones. A couple more speculations— Netti Davis will retain her National Table Tennis title. Albert Pryor will make the All Blacks. New Zealand will beat the Philippines in its first match in the Davis Cup series.