A Notebook of Sport

Press, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22512, 21 September 1938, Page 4

A Notebook of Sport

Challenge Cup Finalists By its performance in reaching the runner-up position in the Canterbury Rugby Union's knock-out "competition for the Union Challenge Cup, the Christchurch Club's senior team has given evidence that it will be a force in the land next year. Composed largely of young players, the side improved remarkably in the course of the season, and much of the credit for this must go to the coach, Mr A. I. Cottrell, the former All Black forward. The forwards were honest grafters in the tight and aggressive in the loose, their number including promising young men in Clay, Poison, Bacon, Stonehouse, and Gardiner. Fleming, a Canterbury representative last year, emerged from retirement half-way through the season and the side benefited greatly from his experience and remarkable hooking ability. Notwithstanding the loss of J. C. Pawson the backs were always capable of enterprising moves. Byrne was an excellent half, the wings, Busfield and Neame, were above average strength, and Watson. Toon, and Black all clayed well inside at various times. Thacker. just left Christ's College, impressed as one of the mosri likely voung full-backs who have come forward in Christchurch for many seasons. A Wres*f?ng Crusade Earl McCready. the Canadian wrestler, so well known to New Zealanders, has begun a campaign designed to convince English sportsmen that wrestling is not one of the lost arts. His first bout in London attracted only a small attendance to the Albert Hall, but the fine display of scientific grappling given by McCready and the giant American, Ruben Wright, aroused much enthusiasm among the critics. Ben Bennison, writing in the "Evening Standard," said of McCready: "He recreated days when in the dales and valleys of the north country the wrestler was one of the kings of sport; when big and ponderous men and little whipcord men of this and that village measured strength against strength, and only the fittest and best survived. ... I readily allow that he has reconverted me. Without a doubt he is one of the finest exponents of catch-as-catch-can I have seen. McCready is intensely serious, as becomes an avowed crusader. He is more than six feet and nearly 17 stone. A typical Highlander, you would say, as hard as "granite, so. strong that in the sixth of an eight-round bout he lifted Wright, a stone the heavier, shoulder high and threw and bounced him about the ring as if it were child's play. This was the only fall in a long, mighty, and impelling battle. . . . And now I itch to see McCready again, preferably need it be said, against Jim Londos. who won me to him during my last stay in America."

Too Many Trophies I Linwood's poor exhibition against Addington in the Rugby League match on Saturday is attributable to the number of hard games the club has had. For a light side it went excellently until well into August, when injuries began to weaken it. At this late stage most" players have had too much football. The Canterbury Rugby League endeavours to shorten the season, but the number of trophies makes it drag on. .u Though only one Saturday remains, there are three trophy matches still tOTibe played. Cyclist's Success

E. : Newell. winner of the 50 mile handicap in the Canterbury Club's championship on Saturday, has proved himself 'a fine road rider during the last two seasons, his best previous performance being the winning of the Round-the-Mountain race last season. P. Doherty put up a meritorious per-; formance to secure second place. Meet-> ing with chain trouble 10 miles from' home, this rider was forced to ride alone to catch the leaders and beat all but the winner. - ,; ; y -f

Progress of Baseball

Baseball has made a promising starlj as a t summer game in Christchurch, and four teams engaged in exciting matches at North Hagley Park on Say urday.. Training College drew with the Christchurch Club, each in* 10 runs, and Christchurch Kiwis beat Christchurch Giants. The .-fifth team at present taking part in lnterclub fixtures is Addington Workshops. By the beginning of next month it is expected that 10 teams will be' taking part in a competition. Air Force proposes to enter two teams, and others will be forthcoming from sports bodies and gymnasiums. Christchurch, enthusiasts have every hope of finding a strong team for the proposed mterprovincial tournament.

LesfM Stalwart to Retire ! A big loss to Rugby League"m Christchurch is, occasioned. by the retirement of A. Stuart, a prominent Linwood forward for many years, and one of the best tacklers in the. code. Tireless and fit, his leadership in the loose work had a lot to do with Lmi wood's winning or the championship this season. Stuart first played for the loW Avon Club about 1920. joining the Linwood fifth grade side in 1923. Near the end of 1925 he iumped. from fourth grade to seniors, playing with _ them till the club dropped from senior to second grade. In 1930. when the club re-entered senior ranks. Stuart was one of the best .forwards, and he has been a leader ever since. He was captain in 1933 and 1934. representative in 1933-34-35. and again in 1938. In 1935 he changed, over to Addingtbn. but rejoined his old club the following season; This year he is club captain.

Striking Bate In Bowing Mr G. A; Stiles, the well-known New? Zealand representative oarsman, at the annual meeting of the Avon Rowing Club, gave some interesting observations on the rate of striking and the merits of swivels versus pop-, nets In his remarks Mr Stiles said that his experience, in overseas rowing showed conclusively that to keep up to world -standard New Zealand oarsmen would have to aim at a higher strikine rate. Successful crews he had rowed against invariably rated high, never under 38 and up to 48 .strokes a minute in races .of a mile and a quarter. Over a similar disitance New Zealand crews rowed on thS average 30 to 36. Mr Stiles favoured the adoption of swivels in Place Lof poppets, as the smo°ther-workimj Swivels prevented any play of the oar iand so assisted in securing a higher ; rate.

Wooderson's New Records ■ Sydney Wooderson, frail-looking, snectacled London bank clerk, added two world's records to his impressive list of performances, in a special nailmile race at Hotspur Park on August 20. Wooderson, who had run a mile faster than any other athlete, set new world figures for both the 880 yards and the 800 metres, covering the former distance-in lmin 49 l-ssec and the latter in lmin 48 2-ssec, and reducing the respective records by 2-ssec and 1 1-5 sec. J. E. Lovelock, the famous New Zealand miler, described this as one Of- the greatest athletic performances of recent years. Writing in the "Evening News" Lovelock said: "The aim had been to do both quarters in 54sec, hoping thus to reach the tape in lmin 48sec. But as so often happens, particularly, where handicap men are strung out ahead, his judgment rather let him down, and after his first furlong had been passed in 25 7-10 sec, instead of the more even 27, he reached the quarter mark in 52 3-ssec. He ha,d caught up only about three yards of his backmarker on an eight yardr handicap, and still he was I 2-ssec inside schedule. There is no doubt that this exuberant pace spoiled his final time, for the last quarter tailed off to 56 3-ssec! He was obviously tiring qver the last 200, and I began to doubt his ability to get there In time. He rapidly came'through to the limit men, who politely ran wide at his approach, and round the last bend he caught all

but his own brother, who had been put out On the limit of 85 yards. But with a final dying effort he reached the mark, and with it two new world's records were put on the book. An analysis of his 230 yards times—2s 7-10 sec, 26 9-10 sec, 27 4-ssec, 28 4-ssec—-shows - the falling off .throughout the whole race, a fair indication of the value of even-paced running, and an indication of his greater potentialities with technically better pace setting. But nothing could spoil this great performancei" ■■■■-■