N.Z. Cross Country Championships

Sun (Auckland), Volume 1, Issue 97, 15 July 1927, Page 11

N.Z. Cross Country Championships

AN HISTORICAL SURVEY

LAST YEAR’S FIASCO

Before the war the South Island held a mortgage on New Zealand crosscountry titles, both individual and teams, and a perusal of the list of champions shows that Otago can -claim to be the premier harrier centre of New Zealand.

Until last winter, Auckland's solitary representative on the championship table was G. Nevill Mill, who won the individual championship at Auckland away back in 1911. Last winter the event was contested on a glorified hurdle course at Alexandra Park, and Auckland scooped the pooi. It was only the fine sportsmanship of the Southern teams which prevented a whole heap of trouble over the muddle into which the one-man Auckland Centre landed itself over the event.

As it was, the position was a most serious one right up to the day of the race. The Otago team, in particular, as good as said it would not compete unless the course was changed to a true test of cross-country running, and it was supported in its attitude by other Southern competitors. On!y at the eleventh hour did they give away, and the whole thing was hushed up. It was certainly a tribute to the splendid sporting spirit of the visitors, but it was a raw deal for them, all the same. Unused to the Auckland conditions, as they were, they never had a look in with the Auckland quartette, but having given their word to race, they went down to defeat like gentlemen and sportsmen. Never a word of complaint did they make, and they were most generous in their praise of the Auckla.nd team’s success. THIS YEAR'S EVENT Although every effort was made this year to retain the dual honours byholding cross-country events over the stiffest possible country—even barbed wire came into the picture on one occasion, as a result of the misdirected zeal of those in charge—it was not felt in well-informed circles that the team’s chance of retaining the honours won the previous year were particularly bright. With Wilson and Beauchamp out of the picture, and that fine athlete Gordon Kells temporarily out of form, the team that went South faced a big hurdle. Savidan, however, covered himself with glory by winning the individual title in such a brilliant fashion that in the South he has been ha’iled as Rose’s successor on the track. It is to be hoped that the present effort that is being made to send Savidan to the Australasian championship at Adelaide next month will be successful. The following details of past New Zealand championship gatherings are interesting: Individual Champions —P. Mai thus, Canterbury. 1909 W. F. Simpson, Canterbury. 1910— G. McKnight, Otago. 1911— G. G. Nevill Hill, Auckland. 1912 J. Beatson, Otago. 1913 J. Beatson, Otago. 1920 C. W. Frye, Otago. 1921 H. Moore. Wellington. 1922 X). Todd, Wellington. 1923 J. H. Nalder, Canterbury. 1924 J. W. Tapp, Otago. 1925 E. L. Brown, Otago. 1926 Ci. Kells, Auckland. 1927 — J. W. Savidan, Auckland. Teams’ Champions 1903 —Canterbury, at Christchurch. 1909 Otago, at Timaru. 1910— Otago, at Invercargill. 1911— Otago, at Auckland. 1912 Otago, at Wellington. 1913 Otago, at Wingatui. 1920 Wellington, at Christchurch. 1921 Wellington, at Wellington. 1922 — Wellington, at Wangatui. 1923 Wellington, at Christchureh. 1924 Otago, at Wellington. 1925 Otago, at Dunedin. 1926 Auckland, at Auckland. 1927 Otago, at Christchurch.