HOCKEY HAPPENINGS

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 2, Issue 565, 23 June 1933, Page 2

HOCKEY HAPPENINGS

DOMINION TOURNEY DOUBTS AS TO LEGALITY OF ALLOCATION BY t i n/i> N.Z.W-H.A. DELEGATES NOT CONSULTED. (Notes by "Sticks") j After months iof preparation by the executive of the Rotorua Ladies' Hockey Association in order' t.o ensure the success of the Dominion tournament should it be held in Rotorua, news was received last week that Dannevirke had been chosen as the venue and sub'sequent hajvpenings have caused a feeling' in the town that its claims have been waived aside with■out the con&ideration which theyj deserved. There are mariy points which appear to have been overl'ooked in the ap'plication of Rotorua hy the New Zealand Women's Hockey Association which undoubtedly should have ^iven Rotorua( prefierence over the association selected and it is this fact, com'bined with a» .explanation which is generally considered as unsatisfactory, that has caused the greater part of the dissatisfaction with the selection. In its success, Rotorua will be the first to congratulate th.e Ruahine Association, wi'th' which. it has many pleasant memories of matches played, •but the local executive cannot agree that Dannevirke can offer a small proportion of the facilities which are available in Rotorua for such a fixture. Reviving Interest. In making early preparations, the Rotorua Association were seized with. the possibilities of pr.oviding one of the mostisuccessful and enjoyable tourneys 'of recent years and of ther.ehy giving the game a hoost and arresting much' of the declining interest w.hich has noticeahly affected the entries of the last iwo tournaments. Keen as the players are to comipete for the "K" Cup, a week in Dannevirke can offer little inducement to them and their associations to aceumulate funds for travelling purpqses under the present difficult conditions, but had Rotorua been selected there i& no doubt whatever that the attraetions wh'ich it has to offer would have made each player keen to ensure her association's entry in thel tournament. It is also safe to say, judging hy repurts which have been received, that most associations were preparing for this visit to Rotorua and they no doubt were as surprised at the allocation as the local executive. What effect this disappointment will have will not tje known until entries are made. The fact that a number of associations were in favour of Rotorua as the venue opens the question of the legality of the method of allocation adopted by the controlling body. Prior to the revision of the general rules of that association last season, it was provided that the tournament should he allocated by the council, which dncluded the delegates of each association. The defanlt of the N.Z. W.H.A. to forward corrected copies of the new rules to each association makes it impossihle to determine whether the allocation this year by the executive alone v/as legitimate, but it is thought locally that) this rulg; was not altered and if this be so the controlling body have created a breacfi which should destroy any confidence the affiliated associations had in the controllers of the game. Feeling of Distrust. I During past years there has been a ' feeling that the interests of the N.Z. executive committee and the Wellington Ladies' Hockey Association have been too closely interwoven by the fact that the individuals comprising both eommittees are mostly the same persons. This is a state of affairs which should not be allowed to continue, as naturally the mere knowledge of it is hound to create a feeling that the desires of one association might be advanced to the detriment of others. While admitting that excelr. lent service has heen accorded the. igame hy most of the present executive the fact that most have held office for many years is also an unsatisfactory principle which might promote an impressiion that they are developing a "Mussolini" system of control. One redeeming feature of the loss of the tourney i& the fact that considerable disapipointment has heen eviderit among all sections pf the community. After heing fully advised of the possibilities and benelits which Rotorua woul4 derive from. the tourney, the townspeople gave valuahle assi'stance to the association and althiough this proved of no ava.il, at at least demonstrates that they realise that it is only hy placing the facilities of the town before such sportmg and other bodies that its claims will be fully recognised. Failures are hound t0 occur but perseverance will finally provide iits reward. Shamrocks' Success. By completing two rounds of matches without loss, the Shamrock Club have convincingly won the Robertson ,Cup for the present season. Through. out the competition this team hqs displayed a knowledge pf the tactics of the game which' has beeiy absent among other teams and by this knowledge and keenness have developed a comhination which has ensured their success. In the eases of other teams, however, good games have also heen pla.yed and these cluhs should not feel disheartened in their failure to upset the ■competition winners. Handicapped as they are in most cases by inexperienced leaders, and being in most cases eomposed of newponjers to thp game, these. teams have "done remarkably well and shouldj do even hetter in the Wairua-a-Rangi .Cup copipetitiqn com.mencing to-morrow aftprnoon. If they oan master the rules,' particularly obstruction and oifside, they should1 do welt. In past games 'the' penalties for. these breaches' have langely undone any attacking moyements wiich. haye1 been made. Any douhts on these, or any . oth.et rules of . tThe jg^aie, will Ije explained tjirpugji this column on request., , . . |