Athletics in Auckland.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 7, 3 October 1907, Page 5

Athletics in Auckland.

A SONG OF TRIUMPH. BUT A DISASTROUS TOUR. [BY TELEGIIArir. — TRESS ASSOCIATION.] Auckland, October 1.. Auckland, judging by the trophies that have boon secured by various representatives; lias, during the past season, attained an enviable prominence in athletic pursuits. Says the "Herald" : The Auckland Rugby representatives in 1905', secured the Rant'urly Shieldand have held it against all-comers since. In Association football, which has made such great strides in Auckland, our representatives have also proved themselves the premiers, for' they secured the Brown Shield. In hockey, too, the Aucklanders have' won more representative games than\tlie players of any. other province, ami are thus entitled to be the initial holders of the New Zealand Hockey Association's Provincial Shield. Our cricket representatives were admitted by the Murylebonc Cricket Club team, which last season toured New Zealand, to.be the best they had met in the Dominion, and Auckland only lost possession of the Plunket Shield by a very lew votes when the Cricket. Council 'balloted for the initial holders. It was generally admitted' in the South that Auckland had the best claim to the Shield. It will be s?eii that the record is a rather unique one. . RUGBY STATISTICS. During, the Rugby football season just ended the Auckland Union sent a team South to lnvercargill, playing eight matches, . winning three, losing four, and drawing one, and scoring 47 points against 4G. Auckland also played four inter-provincial games on the home' ground, -winning ' all,_ and scoring 51 points against 1G- points. Seventeen tries were scored by Auckland in 'hese home matches, but not one was converted. Auckland also won the four inter-union matches played during the season, scoring 81 points against 16 points. Auckland B team also, played live matches, three being won, one lest, and one drawn, scoring 77 points against 30. Auckland Junior representatives also played a:ul won five'games, one being against Taranaki. They scored 83 points and had only nine points registered against tliein. City District Foctball Club won the Moss Davis silver football trophy for the season, for they scored most points in allgrades. City won the Senior Championship, .was second,iii the second-grade,, and third in the fourth grade... North.Shore won tho second and third championships, and Ponsonby won the fourth grade. . HOCKEY AND BOWLING. .The- Auckland hockey representa*' tives played five games during tlie season, winning all and scoring 25 goals •against seven. It, has'.been, decided that a'party of bowlers from Auckland shall visit New South Wales next Januarv, at the' 'conclusion- of the Northern tournament. The party will be limited to 2G players,' and will travel under the auspices, of the. Auckland Provincial ■ Association.. » ; 1 ;lt. is probable- that a- New. Zealand team of bowlers, representative of the whole Dominion, will visit Australia towards the end of 1908, and will play a series of lepresentativc games. ' •SPORTS PROTECTION. At the' first annual meeting of tho Nortlr Shore Sports Protection Society', the. Chairman -stated that the objects of the sooiety-.were to foster sport in every legitimate v.-ay, and,to conserve its interest in whatever, manner may from time to time be deemed necessary. He also intimated that the sporting clubs at Wellington, 'Ilawkc's Bay, arid Christchureii had affiliated with tho North Shore Society. Tho society's rub's, of which ■ there 1 arc 17, deal' generally witli - defaulters. Rule 11 states that no person who has been declared -a'-'de-faulter by tlie society-,shall be .eligible. .to be clectcd a member r of any affiliated club until the suspension has been removed. ' ' CRICKET. i '.' ' ' Eden District Cricket Club have again engaged. A. E. Keif, the English Erofcssionaj, ■as coach for the season. Je should arrive here just before the' season, opens next month.' At the annual meeting of the Auckland Cricket Association a motion was carried that it bo a suggestion to the incoming management committee that the association appoint an advisory cotnmittee of junior players to grade junior players arid teams, to arrango the "draw," to arrange the: junior representative matches,. and to control junior crickot generally; all the actions and measures' taken by this committee to be ratified by the. management committee of the association. Tho opinion generally among juniors was that all the attention of the management committee 'was focussed on the seniors, and such a change as .had been suggested would be beneficial to cricket generally. It would give juniors a greater interest in the game. ' .\ : It was also suggested, that-the management committee might consider the advisableness of awarding the club championship to the club scoring the greatest number of points ins all grades, instead of, as at present, on' the senior result. .It was believed that this would be an incentive'to young players. The President said the suggestiDn was well worth considering. The City Club's area was also" enlarged for tlio season, and a committee was appointed to revise -cricket boundaries., -.' FOR THE SCHOOLBOYS, v. Several cricket 'enthusiasts have been busy, for some days past in collecting subscriptions towards ■ purchasing' a cricket banner, to bo ■' held' by the winning school team of the season. The competition will be open .to all public schools during the recess. It is; proposed that the winning team shall have, the banner displayed in a prominent position in the school of the champion team, so that it can be. easily seen by all the scholars, and thus inculcato in them a desire to emulate the feats of their school comrades. In the cricket season the holders-, of the banner will be required to take it to the 'ground of; playi and there display it in sight of all the schools. The fund is also'intended'to provido the necessary cricket-materials, but the

latter would belong to the Auckland Cricket Association,, for the use of schools as may. be required. Any surplus over and above the cost of. tho banner will be devoted to a school fund held by the Auckland Cricket Association. ' " ' '