SPORTS GATHERINGS

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 2, Issue 290, 2 August 1932, Page 6

SPORTS GATHERINGS

THE PLAYING FIELDS NOTES FROM HERE AND THERE. No Preference. When a challenge from the Buller • Rugby Union for the Ranfurly Shield was before the Canterbury Union's : management committee, the poifit , was made that unions which do not usually challenge for the shield should not be allowed to have preference j in the arrangement of dates over major unions which had already arranged dates for their interprovincial matches. * * * Training Taken Seriously. The Italians evidently take their sport seriously. It was announced in Milan recently that the Italian Lawn Tennis Federation had suspended P. Gaslini, one of the Davis Cup player?, for the next six months Gaslini, it is alleged, failed to carry out the rigid instruetions of the Italian governing body in regard to training for forthcoming international matches. During the recent Riviera season G. de Stefani, ranked No. 1 in Italy, was ordered to retire from the final of a Cannes tournament and to return to Italy to train younger players. De Stefani was paired with the King of Sweden in the handicap doubles, and a telegram asking that he should be allowed to remain for another day was sent to Rome. The request, howevepj was refused, and de Stefani was compelled to "let down" his two partners. 5 * * *

Bay of Plenty Gain. The Bay of Plenty is gaining a very good Rugby footballers from Sydney. John Barker, a centre three-quarter and vice-captain of the Drummoyne Club's first fifteen, has joined the staff of a large dairy company in the Bay of Plenty as a veterinary surgeon. He was a reserve for Australia against Great Britain in 1930, and early this season he showed bright form as a member of the New South Wales team which toured Queensland. % * * Widely-Travelled Cricketer. When he visits Australia and New Zealand as one of the managers of the M.C.C. team next ericket season, P. F. Warner will renew acquaintance with the scenes of many personal triumphs. He is one of the most travelled cricketer s, having plaved in the West Indies, New Zealand, Australia, South Africa, the United States of America, Canada, and other countries. "Plum" Warner captained Lord Hawke's team in New Zealand and Australia in the 1902-03 season here, captained the 1903-04 team which won the "ashes" from Australia, and was again captain of the successful team in Australia in 1911-12, though in the last-mentioned tour illness kept him out of the field after the first match. He was a great batsman and a splendid leader, and there are many New Zealanders who will be glad to meet him again. * * Phar Lap's Hieart. The heart of Australia's wonder horse, Phar Lap, has reached its last resting place in the Australian Institute of Anatomy at Canberra. It is a perfect anatomical specimen, and, therefore, is of special interest to comparative anatomists. It was the vital organ that made possible the tremendous speed and stamina of Phar Lap, and was the pivot of all the co-ordinating factors which made the horse the marvel he was. It is to be exhibited, , together with the heart of an ordinary horse and one from a man. It is hoped to place with it models to be secured of the heart of the celebrated English rac3horse Eclipse and the greyhound Master McGrath. Some idea of the size of the heart rnay be gauged from its weight — 141b, compared with that of 91b, from an ordinary horse. A man's heart weighs from 10 to 12 ounces. * * * Svenson Brilliant. "Snowy" Svenson p-layed a brilliant

game for Marlborough in the Seddon Shield match against Buller, and his clever play resulted in his side' scoring two great tries. On attack the ex-All Black showed initiative, and better served by his first five-eighth he would have been very dangerous. * * * Extensive Training The aelection of the Australian Rugby team which is to visit South Africa next season probably will be announced in September of this year. Twenty-nine players are to be chosen. Arrangements are likely to be made for the selected players to attend gymnasium classes during the summer, to ensure their being fit for the tour. * * * In No Hurry. Carnera has announced that he is in no hurry to grab the heavyweight title. He maintains that it is as good as his now, but the ceremony of actually handing it over will not take eflrect till he meets Sharkey , round the end of the year.

* * * Cotton and Twine. In a big golf tournament in England recently, for prize-money aggregating £1575, Henry Cotton tied with W. T. Twine, and they had to play off over 36 holes, Cotton then winning by a single stroke. It was, of course, appropriate for Twine to tie with Cotton, but inappropriate for Cotton to prove stronger than Twine. * * * New Zealand's Gain. : Hamilton has been fortunate in gaining a distinguished English athlete. A. Weare, a well kno\yn Birrningham sporting figure, has arrived in Hamilton, where he will take up his residence The Evening Dispatch, Birmingham, in commenting on his departure from that city, says: Birmingham's loss will be New Zealand's gain. During the past season he has been described as a most promising Rugby three-quapter, while on the athletie field he was second in the championships at Glouesster. Ile has won dozens of flat racing events, the 100 yards being his specialty. At this distanee he is a recognised 10 l-5s sec. man. He had a brilliant athletie career during the time he was at the King Edward School." •fs # ?!« Caugliey's Injury. Although' chos'en to train for th second Rugby test at Brisbane, th

from the outset, as he had received a knock which had affected a blood vessel above one of his eyes, in addition to setting up a light concussion. On Friday he cabled home that his injury was still affecting him, and that he was definitely not fit. * * + Lost £1000. An unlucky professional cricketer of late is Frank Watson, noted opening bastman for Lancashire. He was so seriously ill with pneumonia last season that at one time it was thought he would not live. Recently the match in Manchester between Lancashire and Surrey was to have been his benefit, but, because of bad weather, the match had to be abandoned without a ball having been bowled in it. "Watson had insured the "gate," but it is estimated that the weather lost him about £1000.