SPORTS BUDGET

Southland Times, Issue 24822, 14 August 1942, Page 2

SPORTS BUDGET

Loyal Supporters Of Southland

The Southland Rugby team can always count on a loyal band of supporters for the Otago match at Dunedin each year. The supporters in the ‘'official” party on Saturday might not have been as many as in other years, but the loyalty was there. Old-timers who never miss are Dave Robinson and Bill Robison. The former played for Southland from 1899 to 1908 and was a member of the Otago-Southland team which played the British team at Dunedin in 1904, and Bill Robison was president of the Southland Rugby Union in 1930-31. Others in the party on Saturday were "Gerry.” Burgess and Jim Manson. Southland captains of 4 Oto 45 years ago, Ernie Budd (1918-21), “Nompy" McLeod (1927), and present-day Rugby Union members, including W. A. H. Oliver (president), H. S. Strang, L. R. Lopdell and R. J. McEwan (selectors), R. G. Webb (coach), G. Agnew and *W. Baird (manager). And last but not least there was Bob Stead, who has been inflating balls for the Rugby Union for 41 years!

Last of 1939 Team Only two members of the Southland Rugby touring team of 1939 were in the Southland team which played Otago at Dunedin on Saturday. They were W. G. Sherrift and A. West, who incidentally were two of the best forwards on the field. Most of the 1939 combination are in khaki or air force blue. Some have been in the thick of other battles and others have been numbered among the casualties. One of the latter, Frank McEwan, was an enthusiastic supporter of the team at Dunedin. Former Southlanders

Two former Southlanders were members of the Otago Rugby pack in the game at Dunedin on Saturday. They were J. Ward, Gore and Pirates (Invercargill), and J. Sands, a husky Winton forward who helped to lock Otago’s scrum. A third Southlander was Cyril George, now Sergeant George, who was a reserve for Otago.

Best Five-Eighths "Billy Stead, of Southland, is New Zealand’s best five-eighth of all time; Charlie Seeling, the finest forward ever seen in an All Black jersey; Bedell-Slvwright’s 1904 British team, the greatest overseas side ever to visit the Dominion,” claims Mr E. Burke, a well-known North Islander, who has had a lifetime connection with New Zealand sport. He has travelled with numerous cricket and football teams touring the South Island, and has also made a trip across the Tasman with All Blacks. He will find many Southlanders to agree with him.

Otago Mounted Rifles’ Team Many new names appear in the O.M.R team which will play Army (Invercargill) at Rugby Park tomorrow. Men from several parts of the South Island are in the team, which will play in blue and white jerseys. The Army team will play in red. white and blue jerseys. It is possible that the O.M.R. Brass Band will accompany the team on its visit to Invercargill. The team is as follows:—Backs. L. Ledingham, E. J. Boyle, A. T. Home, S. Y. Boyes, N. Harper, A. Smart, D. G. Revie; forwards, D. McKenzie, J. Hamilton, A. L. Murphy, L. Whyte, L. Paul, P. Watkins, J. Robertson, D. Bradley. Reserves: P. Coomey, C. E.* Hore, D. Crombie, G. Hore. Basketball

Assiduous practice has produced a very high standard of play in Southland’s representative basketball team which has been selected to play Otago tomorrow. With the exception of one player, every member of the team is a veteran of first grade basketball. Betty Ingram, the captain of the Southland team, can be relied upon to play well in the defence line, and Vera Fraserand Alwyn Pittaway, the centres, are usually two of the mainstays of the team. Leona Barrett should also play well. The forward line will be in the capable hands of Winsome Sadller and Moira McGrath, who have both represented Southland for several years. Gwenda Maley, a new member of the team, is a splendid shoot. As most cf the Otago players are experienced, the match should be evenly contested. Miss S. E. Foster, the best-known basketball authority in the Dominion, is the coach of the Otago team. High Schools’ Game The Southland Boys’ High School Rugby team will play its fourth inter-school fixture for the season against Ttaaru Boys’ High School at Rugby Park on Monday afternoon. Both teams have put up good records this season. The Southland team has won two of the three matches it has played, and Timaru has won three out of four played. In other years the Timaru team has been able to field a combination much above the average in secondary schools’ Rugby, and its performances this season indicate that the 1942 team is a worthy successor. Southland’s success against King's (Dunedin) was something to be enthusiastic about, and the prospects are that .an excellent game of Rugby will be produced. Cycling Tomorrow The Invercargill Amateur Cycling Club will hold a race to Waimatuku and return tomorrow, a distance of 32 miles. The event will start and finish in Elies road, north of the motor camp. Following are the handicaps:—R. McDougall, H. Hubber, scr; J. McKenzie, C. Waddick, 2min; C. Campbell, L. Hubber, 2mln 45sec; L. Young, G. Aslett, 3min 30sec; R. Duncan, L. Heath, 4mln 30sec; F. King, A. Dawson, N. Goodson, 8mln; R, Tily, R. Wilkie, J. Popenhagen, llmin. Table Tennis Championships The Southland table tennis championships will begin on Monday night and will be held nightly (Friday excepted) during the week. On Monday night tile championships will open with junior and handicap events. The women’s singles will start on Tuesday and the men’s singles on Wednesday. All finals will be played on the Saturday night. Men’s Basketball The main feature of this week’s men’s basketball matches was the surprising win of Old Boys over Wanderers by four goals to two. As the score indicates the game was very even. Kittyhawks (A.T.C.) beat Y.M.C.A. No. 2 by 24 goals to eight. This last victory of the Kittyhawks leaves no doubt that they are the best of the A.T.C. teams. The combination was good, the ball was kept low and full use was made of the deceptive bounce pass. Tomorrow four teams from the Dunedin A.T.C. will visit Invercargill. Because of lack of players the Defiants (A.T.C.) have finally withdrawn from the competitions. Top positions are at present occupied by Y.M.C.A. No. 1 and Bible Class No. 1 with 16 points each.