FINE PHYSIQUE

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 183, 20 August 1937, Page 6

FINE PHYSIQUE

Lord Bledisloe Praises New Zealanders LONDON July 23. , "I have Iately Teturned from m country where football is of greater national interest than in any' country in. the. : world, and. though there is a comparatively small population in New Zealand, you see a larger proportion of that population at big matches than in any other part of the world, -and football enthusiasm is to be seen and lived among to- be xealised," said Viscount Bledisloe at the annual meeling of the Lydncy itugby Club, of which he is presidont. Lord Bledisloe stated: "I have never seen a finer average human physique in any part of the world than New" Zealand. I put it down to the i'act that football is the great game of the country, and it is the aiixi of every man and boy to fcature in a football team. "I may tell you two ihings which shoeked xue more than anytliing when I returned from New Zealand. These were the relative poverty of the phyisique of the men of this country compared with those in New Zealand, and the relative neglect of the land of this c'ountry. "Both are taken mueh hetter care of at tlie othor side of the world tinui they ai-e here, and we have to make up our mitids that, if the, Old Country is to ■ make good in yeai-s to come, we have to improve the human element in the .matter of physique, aud we haveto improve the land of the country."