GAMES AND PLAYERS

Press, Volume LXXXII, Issue 24902, 15 June 1946, Page 4

GAMES AND PLAYERS

ATHLETIC SPORTS

(By MILES.) The Ranfurly Shield The Southland Rugby Union, called on to withstand the first challenge for the Ranfurly Shield on August 6, is having its share of trouble with injuries to prominent players. W. Soper, who looked like filling the half-back position, broke an arm recently, and another popular choice for the same position, J. Calder, is also on the injured list. “Sid” Purdue, one of Southland’s best forwards of a few years back, and now right back to his best, broke an arm in a lor®y accident; and Roy Campbell, full-back and a useful three-quarters, is not sound. The province, however, is lucky in the transfer from Dunedin to Invercargill of T. Webster, possibly the best full-back in New Zealand; and Southland critics consider the two wing-three-quarters, E. G. Walker and A. Sutherland, to be well up to representative standard. Inside backs are plentiful, and include P. Grace (South Island representative), R. Mahony, N. Bennett, and H. Hammond. Southland has plenty of good heavy forwards, -amongst them being a number between 14st 71b and 15 stone, and all of a calibre to make Selection difficult. Otago, apparently, has a wealth of material, especially in the backs, and players likely to be considered for the representative team are Botting, Elvidge, O’Connor (University), Churchill and Chapdler (Southern), and Ryan and McKercher (Dunedin), K. Skinner, Sutherland and McDonald (Pirates), and Haig and Murdoch (Kaikorai). Young Golfers In Canterbury Team

The decision to include G. W. Vivian, the young Russley golfer, in the Canterbury team to play Wellington at Russley to-day, is a welcome sign that the selectors are not afraid of experimenting. If golf is to be encouraged, youth must be encouraged that both may profit. Vivian has recently been playing in good and occasionally brilliant form, as in his first half in 35 at Russley in the King’s Birthday open tournament, which he won against a strong field. The Canterbury team is a nice" balance of youth and experience, ranging from such youngsters as Vivian and C. W. Caldwell (Waimairi Beach) to the veteran captain, A. R. Blank. The remainder of the team are seasoned, experienced match players, who should give a good account of themselves. A strong Wellington side includes such hardy veterans as J. L. Black, L. Quinn, and W. B. Reilly, and a considerable number of young players who are just starting to make their names in the game. Qne is D. G. Sutton, a son of >he secretary of the New Zealand Golf Council. Keen Sportsman

Mr J. C. Blair, who recently retired -I? P° siti °n deputy-chairman of the Vacuum Oil Company of Australia, was, during a short period of residence in New Zealand about 40 years ago, among the top flight tennis players. He tooK part in the Dominion championship tournament in 1909 and was eliminated in the second round of the singles by Anthony Wilding. Partnered by H. W. Brown, he reached the semi-final of the doubles, the pair being beaten by F. Wilding, sen., and F. Wilding. Mr Blair was described as a delightful player, with an easy and graceful style. During 41 years in commercial life Mr Blair maintained his interest in sport. He has been chairrhan of the Melbourne Football Club, treasurer of the Melbourne Cricket Club, and also a life member of that club. At present he is a member of the Lawn Tennis Association of Victoria, and is on the executive of the Victorian Bowling Association. An All-Season Sport

Although in nearly every other country with a similar or more severe climate, golf is a summer game, the majority of New Zealand clubs still play their most important competitions during the late autumn, winter, and early spring, when conditions are most unsuitable and difficult. The habit seems to be a throw-back to the days when golf could only be played in the winter because the grass was theij short and mowers had not come into general use. Most players of 30 or 40 years standing can remember playing on courses where the greens were fenced to exclude the sheep used for keeping down the grass; and probably that primitive method is still in use on many up-country courses. Another contributing factor is that many golfers turn to tennis, swimming, or bowls in the summer. But We certainly make it hard for ourselves in playing our main competitions in the wet months. The tendency to-day, however, is to make the game an all-season sport; and more and more New Zealand golfers are making it their one sport. The time will undoubtedly come when the official season will open in spring and end in autumn. Death of Famous Fighter

With the death of Jack Johnson, who was reported killed in a motor-car accident in America this week, passes one of the greatest boxer-fighters thfe world has known. When Jim Jeffries retired in 1905 he still held the world’s title, and this he handed on to Marvin Hart, whose career as champion was short and not very colourful. He was beaten by Tommy Burns, a little Canadian whose real name was Noah Brusso. For some time Burns evaded all challenges by Johnson to meet him in the ring; but with Hugh D. McIntosh at the head of an Australian syndicate, Burns was finally persuaded to meet the negro at Rushcutter’s Bay, Sydney, for a purse of £6500, the biggest stake ever offered in the Southern Hemisphere. The prize was a tempting one, and Burns, a keen businessman, insisted that win, lose, or draw, he was to have the lion’s share. Johnson agreed to this until the day before the fight, when he demanded better conditions. He was granted concessions, but on the day of the fight he demanded more, and until Johnson was in the ring Mclntosh spent many anxious moments negotiating with him. Burns was no match for Johnson. Burns and Johnson hated each other, and this was a real grudge fight. Insults and taunts came freely from each fighter, and with Johnson master of the position the police stopped the fight after 13 rounds had gone. Johnson, though he was a wonderful fighter, did not often defend his title. Fight promoters found him difficult to deal with, and all their efforts failed to get him into the ring with another negro, Sam Langford, the “Boston Tar Baby.” Hutt Valley Tennis Strength Grows The balance of power in New' Zealand tennis is shifting more and more markedly toward the Hutt Valley. The Hutt men's team won and easily retained the Wilding Shield last season; the women’s team narrowly failed to win the Nunneley Casket from Wellington before Canterbury captured the trophy. Both Hutt teams will be stronger next year,. Hutt Valley’s recent acquisitions being R. V. Robb and Mrs Joyce Robb, who captained the respective Wellington teams last season. Mrs Robb was runner-up in both the North Island and New Zealand singles championships, and she will greatly strengthen an already fcrrmidable Hutt Valley women’s team. Canterbury’s Challenge Canterbury is assured of a game for the Ranfurly Shield no matter what the result of the Otago-Southland match on August 7, if the Canterbury Rugby Union decides to accept the offer made bv Otago to play on August 31. The match against Southland is set down for August 24. To fulfil both engagements, the players will need to be away for more than a week, or will have to make two long, wearving journeys during that period. The selectors may have been satisfied with the team that played Buller and West Coast, but a defeat at Greymouth does not make the team look like a Ranfurly Shield Winner. On paper it is not much better than last year’s Canterbury* team, which Otago beat by 34 points to 0, so some improvement is needed. The selectors, however, may have learned much by the form shown on the West Coast, and they have also had chances of further studying club form. The Old Boys-Marist match last Saturday showed an outstanding forward in W. A. Hearn, and on Wednesday Lucre, playing full-back for Training College, gave a sparkling display. Lucre, who learned his football at Nelson College, started the season as a full-back, but with a light pack he went into the forwards. where he played fine football. Mitchell is another who was passed over in recent selections. He is playing as well, as ever he did, but is under a great handicap in having to play outside the weakest inside backs in ■ the competition. Distributed amongst 12 teams in Christchurch alone, Canterbury has some splendid material. The selectors’ job is to get this material properly regimented. Most Points to Morton With seven rounds of matches completed, J. D. Morton is the leading individual scorer in the senior Rugby competition. He has scored 43 points for his club (Christchurch), made up of three tries, six conversions, six penalty goals, and a field goal. Next is J. W. Kelly, University, with two tries, eight conversions, and two penalty goals, a total of 28 points. He is followed by P. Callanan (Marist), whose 27 points have all come from kicking-r-four conversions, five penalty goals, and a field goal. The leading scorers are as follows:—Morton 43. Kelly 28, Callanan 27, E. Lucre (Training College) 24, P. Gilmour (Sydenham) 21, D. Herman (Technical) 20, E. Jackson (Albion) 19. D. Gibson (New Brighton) 19, A. Cochrane (Christchurch) 18, R. Thompson (Old Boys) 18, R. Burke (Sunnyside) 16. R. Rothwell (Technical) 16. G. Ennis (Merivale) 15. Most tries have been scored by Cochrane and Thompson (six each), and Herman (five). Experimental Football Playing under an experimental rule forbidding a forward to leave • the scrum until the ball was out, United Services I beat Richmond-Blackheath by 53 points I to 0. There were few scrum infringements. and spectators liked the game; but the players considered that the sule gave , too great an advantage to the team securing the ball in the scrums.