WORLD OF SPORT

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 3, Issue 209, 6 September 1940, Page 8

WORLD OF SPORT

OUR SERIAL STORY

"THE HERO SPEAKS AGAIN'" THIS WEEK: 'DELVING INTO JOURNALISM* Synopsis: This story is all about a 'goody' Rugby Football sub-Union and a-"'.naughty, naughty sub-Union called Rangitaiki. Other characters are the Tc Puke and Whakatane Unions, a newspaper called the "Opo tiki News" and a newspaper called "The Bay of Plenty Beacon/' the hero/being a curly-liaired, nice-man nered character who writes all about football for the "Opotiki News." He is the hero of the story but, although he Avill triumph in the end, as all good tilings must, he suffers the terrible handicap of being awfully one-eyed. The villain is the sports reporter on the "Bay of Plenty Beacon,," and the villain is disliked by the hero a lot more than is supposed because the "Beacon" covers the Bay of Plenty from Tc Puke to Opotiki and back as far as Tc Wliaiti, and his comments arc thus read by many people, the hero thereby being placed at considerable disadvantage.'

SYNOPSIS CONTINUED: Now, Rangitaiki, which Union, incidentally, possesses the best team in the Bay of Plenty, held a trophy known as the Hurinui Shield and Opotiki challenged for that shield. Tilie match Avas fixed for August 24th. At Opotiki's request,, its challenge match was played one Aveek earlier on the 17th, thus robbing Whakatane of a game for another trophy knoAvn as the Dunderdale Cup. Rangitaiki then contracted to play Te Puke for yet another trophy, called the Parata Gup, the date for this match being August 24th and t|he agreement Avas made on August sth. Opotiki visited Rangitaiki's domain on the 17th andt took the shield away and though Mr W. T. Bur ret t told Mr Cummings, honorary secretary of the Rangitaiki Union, that Opotiki would not expect Rangitaiki over Opotiki Avay for tAvo oi three Aveeks yet, a storm because The Plains boys Avould not cancel their fixture Avith Te Puke. In point of fact, T'e Puke would not release Rangitaiki from the engagement and the lads from the dairying area could not meet Opotiki in the return clash.

STILL THE SYNOPSIS: This is where the hero comes in. As soon as it was known that Rangitaiki could not play a return match on the 24th, the hero wrote in the "Opotiki News,," saying that, inter alia, Rangitaiki had what is colloquially known as 'the breeze up' and were afraid of defeat. Nosv the Rangitaiki players are nothing if not sportsmen and because, the villain was not aware that the liero wo»ic[ take the necessary steps to acquaint Rangitaiki with ,his views, lie defended the players, and the Union, from what he considered an unfair and unjustified attack. Then the hero had more, much more, to add to his previously expressed opinion and, of course, the villain again pointed out oiie or two inconsistencies. It had by that time been forgotten by the hero that had it not been for the sportsmanlike action of Rangitaiki in playing the game a week ahead of schedule (he says the holder always fixes the dates), there would not have arisen the present position in regard to the shield,.and the consequent blow to Bay football prestige. The story continues-: A Dainty Delve. Hero, woman-like, decided that he ■would make every effort to get in with the last word. He had read the villain's further comment and though he burned with the desire to dash off a snappy and adequate reply, .lie controlled the impulse, realising that if he took a week or so over the job he could do much better. He did not, he definitely- did not. like the villain's reference to his amateur standing. "I will put this fellow in his place," he thought, and then pondered awhile. "Yes," he said to himself, "sarcasm. That's the thing. Sheer sarcasm,. A good close of concealed wit will do that chappie a whole lot of good." I

So he sharpened his pencil and this is part of the screed which duly appeared in the "Opotiki News/' Wednesday, September 4tli:—

"Since reading the above (the villain's observations, which were reproduced) the poor "amateur writer", who lias only been delving into journalistic work for a mere 20 years has been going about with his head bowed in shame. But really, we do not think the "Beacon" meant to be unkind. Unfortunately the "Beacon" has a bad habit of presuming and has come two or three more crop-i pers. In the first place, the article was not written by a member of the Opotiki Rugby Union,, or any football official. In the second place the writer did not siend "'copies'" of the news to the Rangitaiki Union and the Bay Union secretary. One member only of the Rangitaiki Union was forwarded a copy. Of course it is possible that other O'potikites wished Rangitaiki to know the Opotiki opinion."

Wlii-ch, considering the "come tAA r o or three more 'croppers' " and so on, was rather a dainty delve into journalistic Avork. Carrying On. Quite Avarmed up, hero thought, "I'll let him have the whole battery Avhilc I'm on the job," and, his pen flying fast OA r er the pages, he produced this:

"As far as "So-and-So" telling "So-andnSo" that Opotiki could not play for .two or three weeks, the Beacon was quite right, only the Beacon forgot to mention either name. However, after putting our sleuth hound oil the track, the offender was laid low. It appears j that during a little "unofficial celebration" the offending Opotikitc, when informed by a Rangitaiki official that Rangitaiki could not plav the following Saturday, said that that would be awkward as it would mean at least two more weeks, having in mind the Auckland match tiie following Saturday, However, nothing official went from the Opotiki Union. The match was definitely arranged for the 24th and subsequently cancelled. It has been the practice for the Shield holders to choose the date for the next match to be played and Opotiki exercised this privilege, which has been used by Rangitaiki. Unfortunately when Opotiki decided to fix the date, the late shield holders'would have none of it, thus exercising their longstanding practice of "fixing the date." And that, you will admit, was telling the villain! It would have been better, however, il the hero had remembered to include the names of those quoted as taking part in a little 'unofficial celebration' after making a point of the "Beacon's" omission.

This Aveek's chapter, "Delving into Journalism" concludes here and the continuation of our serial story de-; jjends largely on the hero. He may; come again. In any case he lias more material this time because since he his last essay it lias: been mentioned by both the Bay of Plenty Beacon and the Rotorua Morning Post that Rangitaiki and : Rotorua rank as the tAvo best teams in the Bay of Plenty this year, What a feast for him!