N.Z. SURF TEAM FOR AUSTRALIA

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 184, 21 August 1937, Page 18

N.Z. SURF TEAM FOR AUSTRALIA

FIRST TO LEAVE D0MINI0N SECOND OVERSEAS T0UR 3 Next February, for the first time in life-saving history, a representative New Zealand surf life-saving team will make a, tour of Australian beaches. This will be the first team of its kind to leave the Dominion's shorts and ■the trip wi'll be the second overseas tour to be made by a representative team of surf experts. The pioneers in this field were the Australian team which conducted a very successful instructional, and competitive tour of New Zealand during last February. An invitation extended by the Surf Life-saving Association of Australia has been accepted by the council of the New Zealand Surf Life-saving Assodiation. The scheme is for a short tour by a team of ten men and a manager. The carnival committee of the Australian body has made tentative arrangements for the New Zealanders to take part in Saturday afternoon carnivals on February 19 and 26, and at a night fixture at Coogee some time in the week between. Teams will probably be present from some, at 'least, of the Australian States. The Australian body made a definite offer to pay all accommodation for the team when in Australia, and to make some contribution towards the cost of transport across the Tasman. The team is to be picked from nominations forwarded by clubs to the central body tiirough .the district associations. Members of a representative selection committee are to watch the form of the nominees at the district championships in mid-January. The final choice is to be made.at the New Zealand surf championships at Christchurch on January 29 and 30. It is the practice in New Zealand for all teams who can afford it, irrespective of the result of the local contests, to travel -to the New Zealand titles. The last championships, held at Lyall Bay, Wellington, were attended by teams from as far north as Auckland and as far south as Oreti, some 500 miles "down under" by rail and steamer. Possibly an extra day will be reserved at Christchurch for trials. A very sincere compliment was paid to Jack Cameron by members of the New Zealand Council when the Australian manager was referred to as the model on' which the New Zealand manager should be chosen. The hope was also expressed that the New Zealand team would turn out as well-be-haved as the Australians. A suggestion which will probably be adopted will be that of sending the team over a fortnight or so in advance. This wil'l be rendered necessary by the fact that the team will have to meet State teams under the Australian rules. When the Australian team was in New Zealand it did not enter into active competition in the rescue and resuscitation events, but gave demonstrations of the Australian rules. The New Zealand system has six men and a captain who stands out of the ballot and who controls the line. The linesmen move according to the fall of the 'line and use a different stance in hauling in. The whole New Zealand style is more military and less relaxed. With a week or more's training together on an Australian beacli under an Australian instructor, the visitors would .be able to meet the Australians on even terms. The many differences in style between the methods of the two countries need a separate article in themselves. Perhaps this interchange of tours wi'll be instrumental in ironing matters out, but it must be remembered that what is good for Australia is not necessarily so good for the Dominion's differing conditions. There are those in New Zealand who hope that this tour will lead Australia to see the light! In any case, the selectors' chief concern will be to pick a team which will hokl Australia's crack men in the water.