SPORTSMAN’S

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 245, 6 January 1928, Page 11

SPORTSMAN’S

LEAVES OF A

NOTE-BOOK

ADVICE TO BOXERS. A crowd had gathered in a London side street to watch a fight between two men. One of them was stout and obviously out of condition. He was getting the worst of it, when a voice from the crowd addressed the winner: “Garn! Why don’t you hit one yer own shape!” RUGBY: HAS IT IMPROVED? T. W. Pearson, a former captain of the Welsh international Rugby fifteen, and captain of Cardiff, was recently asked whether he thought that Rugby had improved in England. This is what he had to say: “Generally It has improved—that is the clubs are more on a level than they were. The.e are more teams playing first-class football to-day than ever; but I do not think Welsh football, either club or international, has improved. It has gone back.” AN “OSTRICH.” Scottish golfers are in a dilemma. R. Craig, of Glengarhock, playing in a medal competition over the Dundonald Club’s course, did the second hole —275 yards long—ln one. Now the bogey of this hole is four, and great discussion is still taking place in the club houses around the country as to wheutsv the feat of beating bogey by strokes at one hole should be referred to as a “double-£agle” rr “ostrich.” I would call it a fluke. “SLOW-COACH?” There was an amusing little incident during a London trafiic block recently. Major H O. D. Segrave, the holder of the world's motor-car speed records, was at the head of the block. When the traffic was released Segrave did no get away instantly, because of a slipping clutch. A police officer, who did not recognise the intrepid driver, grinned at him good-humouredly and said, “Come on, slow-coach!” “BEATEN TO THE DRAW.” There had been an accident duriug a grouse-sb'-'ot in the Highlands. One of the gillies was peppered by a sportsman rho wu- an atrocious shot. Asked afterwards to explain exactly what happened, the victim said: “I was standing b aside my gent.cman in the butts when the birrds cnme over. I was going to tell him to fire as they were exactly in the right position, when suddenly there was a terrific explosion, and the doctor said, “Sit up and drink this, laddie.” REFEREED ON SUNDAYS. Have Rugby unions the right to limit the actions in foreign countries of referee" on their officia 1 lists? That is the Interesting question asked recently by an English paper. The point arises in connection with the Welsh Rugby Union taking exception to a contravention of its by-laws by T.

H. Vile, the official referee with the British Rugby team in the Argentine, who officiated at games played on a Sunday in that country. Logically, if he was guilty of an offence against Rugby laws, the English, Irish, and Scottish players who participated in the games at which he officiated on Sundays should be equally guilty. Bnt this by-law is singular to the Welsh Union. The need is for one code of laws for the Rugby game. BILLIARDS INNOVATION? Tom Newman, who has been the billiards champion of the world on six occasions, has just made a suggestion which has set the tongues of gossips of billiards wagging in fine style. His idea is to spot the white in baulk when it is pocketed, and compel the next stroke to be played off the red, no matter where the coloured ball may be. Of course, one could argue about this for a month, but undoubtedly the fact that the three balls are always on the table mat es for a very interesting type of game. This will be of very little interest to some players I have heard of, as with a poker and a pair of potatoes they can rattle up 100 breaks —so they say!

DEMPSEY: “CHAMPION” What exactly does the American fight-going pubiic think of that last affair between Jack Dempsey and Gene Tunney? Well, here is a tit-bit which gives a new outlook on the position and goes to show that Dempsey’s popularity is far from being on the wane. At a recent fight in Madison Square Gardens, New York, Jack Dempsey and Jim Jeffries, a former world's heavyweight champion, were present. As is the custom in America they were asked to step into the ring and be introduced to the huge crowd. As soon as Dempsey was seen the crowd was on its feet yelling vociferously. and shouts came from every part of the building for Humphreys, the announcer, to introduce Jack Dempsey as the w'orld’s heavyweight champion. THE CHANGING TIMES. Thfr Waratahs have already gained a reputation in England for clever hooking of the ball from the scrums and very fast breaking-up. In this connection it is interesting to note that 40 years ago such a practice was looked upon with real disfavour by followers of the game. It is on record that in a match in England between the Queen’s House and the Gipsies. Rowland Hill, a brilliant back, bade his forwards let the ball out to hint, and as a result he scored the winning try. This enraged the spectators and one in particular wrote to the papers of the day speaking of the strategy as “bad form.” How times have changed' MR X.