Hockey Notes.

Free Lance, Volume III, Issue 151, 23 May 1903, Page 25

Hockey Notes.

By Bully.

Owing to the action of the weather bureau in not permitting any field sports on Saturday last., I am unable to make any criticisms on play and .players this week, so must content myself with a few general notes and remarks. • • • The most important happening .n hookey circles last week was the decision of the local Association not. to avail itself of the opportunity of carrjmg out the first inter-island mateih, as desired by the N.Z.H.A. The reasons given for declining this honour were that owing to difficulty of picking the team, etc., the local body considered the date settled on by the N.Z.H.A. (June) too early in the season, and that as the programme of representative matches, is already as full as can be satisfactorily carried out, it was considered that more iustice could be done to the occasion if the match were played in Christ church. * * ♦ It seems a pity that the Empire City should lose so important an event to hockey enthusiasts but if the committee of the Association does not see its way to carry the match through with the eclait it deserves, it is quite right in waiving its claim early in the day, and giving the governing Association time to make other arrangements. * * * A meeting of the N.Z.H.A. was held in Christehuroh last week, and Messrs. Burgess and Johnson were elected selectors of the South Island team, and it is time that a committee w as appointed to select the North Island representatives, which, from want of data and knowledge of the personnel of the various affiliated Associations will be a task I don't envy anyone • ♦ ♦ Two of our local clubs are meeting foreign teams on Empire Day. The Karori first eleven journey to Levin, to do battle with a team captained by our old friend and ex-representative forward, Mackenzie, and the United eleven play their annual fixture with the Christchurch Hockey Club, at Day's Bay. I take this opportunity of wish-

ing both our clubs success in then ventures. • c • The Canterbury Association has given its referees instructions to put down anything approaching rough or foul play, and, acting in accordance with this, the referee m the Kaiapoi-Lyttel-ton fixture (Mr. Saunders) last week found! it necessary to order one player (a Kaiapoi man) off the field for deliberate tripping, and to caution another player for rough r>lay. It is to be hoped that our local referees w ill have nothing of this nature to contend with during the season. * * • I learn, from files to hand, that there is every prospect of the game getting a place for itself in Auckland. An enthusiastic meeting of intending players has been held, at which, it was decided to form a club immediately and to boom the sport as much as possiblei in the Northern city. Mr. R. Barry, up till lately a, prominent hockeyist and representative player m Canterbury, has thrown in his lot with the movement, and I sincerely wish him and his colleagues every success, and hope to hear that another Association has been formed for affiliation with the N.Z.H.A.