Basketball Senior Reps. Prepare For N.Z. Tournament

Chronicle (Levin), 18 August 1949, Page 7

Basketball Senior Reps. Prepare For N.Z. Tournament

W "Forward")

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On Saturday the Horowhenua A representative basketbail team will have its final practice before travelling to Dunedin to take part in the New Zealand, basketbail tournament to be held there. ' , In this tournament the Horowhenua team will play in the second grade against teams from Otago, Canterbury, West Coast, Nelson, Poverty Bay, Tauranga, Southland, Taranaki, Waikato, Rotorua, Wairoa and Matamata. The tournament will commence on Wednesday, August 24, and continue till the following Saturday. . v

A heavy programme lies ahead of teams in the second grade in which there is the largest number of teams. At Christchurch in 1945 the Horowhenua team won ihe Kiwi trophy with equal shiel'd points with Wairoa in the third grade. The following year at Tauranga ihe team for the first time entered the second grade coniest and tied with Hutt Vallev for the Runnerup Hayhurst Cup. In 1947, at Nelson, the Horowhenua team played some of its best basketbail. As there were so many teams this year in the second grade it was divided into two secions. Horowhenua went through •.ts section without a loss and on che final day of the tournament met Tauranga, a strong team, and winner of the other section. This team proved too strong for Horowhenua but as section winners they had shown a high standard of play. In New Plymouth the Horowhenua team, with some new young players, played well but failed to reach the top. Some Young- Players. This year the team has many players new to representative games. Some of them are young and capafole of learning a great deal from a visit to a ' tournament.

What the fortunes of the team will be no one can predict but with- their vouthful adapiability and fitness they should give a good account of themselves and will do all they can to bring honour to their county. Rotorua Team. On August 31, the second Horowhenua team will leave for Rotorua to take part in the tournament held annually there. This team has unfortunately, in one respect to meet teams of isweb higher grade than its own at Rotorua. Many teams travelling home from the New Zealand Tournament go on to compete in the Rotorua tournament. Although the opposition is a difficult one Ihis team .will gain valuable experience and should play some good games. Up to the present the Horowhenua B team has had only one loss, and this by one goal only, out of six representative games played at Wellington, Oroua Downs and Palmerston North. The Teams. The following. are the players who will represent the district: — N.Z. tournament team. — Forwards: J. Winiata (captain), J. McClune, M. Dome, J. Elliot. Centres: R. Judd, M. Davis, N. Staples, A. Jacobs. Defence: M. Winiata, J. Roberts, J. Parr, P. Franklin. Each of these players will be presented with the special senior silver representative badge and year bar before she leaves for Dunedin. Rotorua tournament team. —

Forwards: P. Fogden, K. Hughes, IK. Green, D. Burke. Centres: M. 1 Davis, L. Robinson, N. Scotson, J. | Arcus (captain). Defence: E. | Matu ich, V. Fogden, M. Catley, H. Davis.1 Eaqh of the above players will receive '- the B grade badge and year bar. , ■ —m— m }