RUGBY CHAMPIONS, 1927

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 187, 28 October 1927, Page 10

RUGBY CHAMPIONS, 1927

and there, or behold a bent grass or a broken twig which showed him the track to to-night’s dinner —if he had pace enough to catch it. SAMUELS AND MARSH When some Sydney budding Tex Rickards hit on the idea of exploiting the sprinting abilities of these aboriginals in the field of athletics, it was not difficult to find some speedy blacks who took quite a lot of catching, when they hopped into their stride from the crouch and stole a five to 10 yards break on an upright white, who found the tape too far away to make up the ground lost at the crack of the starter’s pistol. r'g rl- rl- -r rr rc w rr rK 7C ~'r rvi

rK ?r. ~K rr rH rr rrt # rr nr nr nr rj- -IIt was at the “Sir John Banks” Grounds, Botany Bay, where many famous sports were staged, and £SOO handicaps were run which attracted the world’s best sprinters from England and. the U.S.A., and it was here that Charlie Samuels .and Jack Marsh began to fracture existing records, and stand up such world champions as Lon Myers from America and Harry Hutchens from London. It was at Botany that Bill Arnott, of Auckland, one of the speediest sprinters New Zealand had produced, learned a few wrinkles which he turned to good aclount on his return here. WHITE v. BLACK Harry Hutchens had some wonderful records to his credit; one of 30 seconds for a 300 yards burst standing for 30 years 1 until broken by .7 Donaldson at Manchester. At Botany Hutchens’s 250 yards in 25 l-4see still holds the record for Australia, but W. T. Macpherson clipped it in 1801, by

a special bonus was offered for any f 1 competitor lowering the existing re- A : cord of 21sec for the 120 yards hurdles. ; Bill hopped off on his three strides j » to the hurdle stunt and only chopped i : five secoijfls off the old record, by j i leaving his opponents standing in 16 1 sec! A record which still takes a lot : of clipping in these days, when each ' « man has his own course and his own 1 hurdle. j : “It was Rafferty in those days,” remarked Bill, “when you had to elbow your way through from scratch and j take any old hurdle you could get a . fly at.” THE AMATEUR AGE ARRIVES In tho late 90’s “cash” running declined a lot in popularity, and amateur bodies were increasing in nuni- 1 ber and strength. A number of wellknown “cash” runners availed themselves of the invitation to a free coat of whitewash, and blossomed forth as lily white amateurs. The professional side of the sport dwindled away, except for a spasmodic revival about a score of years since, when the Gaslight Sports at Newmarket became a popular craze, until the gas was cut off at the meter by an unsympathetic Parliament chopping out the bookmakers. BILL FINE RECORDS - Not only was Bill Arnott the undisputed champion hurdler of New Zealand in his day, but he was more than useful over a 100, 220 or 440 yards sprint, and could spring about a 20ft long jump, or a sft high jump on to an opponent, in competitions where an accumulation of points counted for a special cash prize. “THE HUNDRED IN NINE DEAD!” Bill reckons the fastest runner New Zealand has ever seen was J. H. King, j of Sydney. On the Auckland Domain i in the Caledonian Handicap, in 1894, King was timed by several watches * to do the 100 yards in 9sec dead! But King had beaten the pistol on the spring, and the time was never officially recognised. Athletics have fallen on lean days j in these times, but the material is j undoubtedly still here for the pro- j duction of champions, and it is hoped that a good rally on November 5 far | the local centre’s sports will see a revival of interest and some stirring contests as in the days of Arnott, Hoi- ; ! der, Oliphant, George Smith, Dave ■ | Wilson, A. W. Watts, and other oldI timers who made athletic history J \ LL STAR PEI . ;:RS. earIless Stars of th Mount Ko.-'.-:i!l and S Mount Mangere Motor-cycle Hill Climbs : again in action. MANGERE SPEEDi WAY, SATURDAY', October 29, 2.30 p.m. • i

, low men, brown men. have all toiled ! to achieve its perfection. I Some have sawn, a few have spun, others have dug deep, and some have i laboured in tropical plantations. An j kinds of vessels from crude dug-ou:s ito huge cargo vessels have txana- ! ported its various components. : diffeernt materials go to make the ' high-grade bat, and each comes from a different part of the world. FAR AND WIDE Willow for the blade is grown in the j Eastern Counties of England. The cane in the handle is brous-- ! from tropical Sarawak, and from j Malacca in the Straits Settlement. In sunny Spain an'd Portugal the cork-oaks from which the cork 1= The linen thread which binds the handle grows in the fields of orc ' ern Europe and America. “KING COTTON” Plantations in the southern district* of the United States and in ancient Egypt produce the cotton from the twine for binding on the ruDre cover is made. Antimony, one oi w substances employed in the nM.nu ture of the red rubber grip is in Borneo. . _ From Australia, zinc oxiac. anotft« of the minerals composing tne ber grip is transported. The actual rubber is trees growing in the boundless of Brazil and the immense ruD plantations of Malaya. n ecesWhilst the sulphur which Is n sary to secure the permanent e ticitv in the grip comes from mines of the United States and of Europe. Fine Performances by Sydney Public School Athletes The exceptionally high standard of amateur athletics iu the great schools of Sydney is illustrated* W following comparison of !? erf . —Lonregistered at the annual champ ships: 100 Yards: 0.P.5.. lOsec.: N*"10 4-5. _ w- a vr.. 220 Yards: G.P.S.. 21 4-osec., • 440 Yards: G.P.F., 50 4-sscc., N-S.W Half-mile: G.P.S.. 2min. o -~ ! > sec X.S.W.. 1.56 4-5. _ „ _ _ Mile: G.P.S.. 4iasn. j 4.32 4-5. —.: j 120 Vr.V F.ird es: G.b • I.N.S.W ' 5. j High G.PS?., oft Broad -Tump G.P.S.. 21ft. fc N.S.W., 22ft. 61m.