HOCKEY HAPPENINGS

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 2, Issue 259, 24 June 1932, Page 2

HOCKEY HAPPENINGS

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DOMINION TOURNEY MANY NORTH ISLAND ASSN'S. MAY DEFAULT THIS SEASON. N.Z. COUNCIL CRITICISED.

(Notes by '

Advice has been received by the Rotorua Ladies' Hockey Association that the Dominion Tourney of the Ne\v Zealand Women's Hockey Association has this year been allotted to Dunedin and will prohably be held there about the end of August. So far as it is known to the writer only two South Island Associations applied for the tournament this season and it | was confidently expected that in view of certain circumstances the honour would be given to the Marlborough Association. Thq decision of the controlling association to allot the tourney to an association as far south as Dunedin this year will undoubtedly he met with disappointment by most associations in this Island and will probably react against the controlling body and the Otago Association in particular in the direction of greatly reduced entries for the championships. Most associations were put to heavy expense last season in sendihg its team to Auckland for the annual fixture, but in the knowledge that the allocation of the tournament to this centre was well overdue, little complaint was made and good entries were received. It was anticipated that, in view of the fact that two seasons ago the matches were held in Invercargill and that many years have elapsed since the honour was given to an association in the north end of the South Island, the application of the Marlborough Association would receive preference. It is considered therefore that most associations in the North Island will find it necessary, due to lack of finance and the difficulty of raising funds, to default fyom this year's competition, probably resulting in the "K" Cup being competed for by South Island teams only, and therefore defeating the object for which the competition was inauguratecl, the Championship of the Dominion. Must be Withdrawn. It is known that, although a definite decision had not been made, the Rotorua Association was making preparations to send a team to compete at Bleheim, but in view of the decision of the New Zealand Council any thought of competing for the championship will now have to be withdrawn. The expense necessary to cover fares alone to permit the association's team to compete at Invercargill two seasons ago was in the vicinity of two hundred pounds, and the chances of raising a similar sum this season are practically impossible. This is unforunate, as with the inclusion of the Whakatane sub-association in the Rotorua boundaries a much stronger team than that which performed so well in Auckland last year, could be entered, and there is every reason to expect that the Rotorua team would make a strong bid for the honour of being the ehampion team of the Dominion. However, the decision has been made, and' one hopes, against better judgment, that the unwise decision of the N.Z. Women's Hockey Association will not result in the annual fixture losing the support and interest of the North Island associations. Rotorua. Competitions. The decision of the execntive of the Rotorua Association to stimulate more interest in the present series of matches by dividing the teams into -grades according to strengtli, is a wise one, and should do much to arrest the decline in interest which is injuring the game in Rotorua at

present. There is no question that the matches played 'this season have been far from inspiring, and in fact have not reached the standard expected of considerably lower grade teams. With the allocation of grades in which the teams are evenly matched the competitive spirit of the players will be aroused and they now may take the field in the knowledge that they at least have an equal chance of success with their opponents, with the result that the displays given should show a big improvement. It has been decided that the Wairua-a-Rangi Cup will be the trophy for the A grade and that another trophy be provided for the B grade. It is also the intention to permit the winner of the B grade to play a match against the lowest team in the A grade to decide whether the grading of the two clubs should be reversed for the following season. Although two grades have been decided upon, it should he noted that it is not the intention of the association to also alter the existing method of selecting the representative teams, players of both grades being eligible for selection for representative honours. Robertson Cup Final. A good contest should be witnessed at the Government grounds tomorrow afternoon when the Shamrock and Taniwha teams will meet to decide which club shall have the honour of holding the Robertson Cup until the next season. Both teams are equal in points for the trophy, the latter team being keen to avenge the defeat inflicted on it hy Shamrocks in the first game of the season, when the score was one goal to nil. !