FAST RIDING

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 322, 5 April 1928, Page 6

FAST RIDING

FIisHER WINS CYCLING CHALLENGE CUP

J Brilliant riding by N. Fisher at last, : teur Cycling Club at the Domain won ! for him the \Lctor Ludoram Challenge | Cup. ±ne two events decided were or e I and miles. In the one mile him the one point necessary to win. . pea Has m r —. ' 12 /yds. 2: E_ Cleaver, IB«>yd=. 2: EL - _ -2 e _ ' . . .- - The winner was always in a good ! j nnish, won comfortably by sin ' lengths, ' -PL Geaver just lasted long enough zc ! beat the fast finishing H. Dwight, who the oa : --: rtter 1 v - . - 1 L 7 .d - yds . A This was a’very fine’ race "to ’ watch. 1 , The limit risers, Fisher and Pinfold. ■ soon joined by Bairc and at once ; : settled down to a good solid grind. The back-markers, which included Wade, j Dwight arid Mathesor, also : between the two divlEjons. At two laps to go the front bunch had 2 4-cyds lead., • and although the back-markers went fiat j out over the remaining distance they I made very little impression on the : leaders, who though tired, finished in ; the order mentioned, some 80yds ahead I of the back riders.

available for competition among i teams representing- the Maori council districts of New Zealand, but up to the only contenders were the i Tamatea (Hawke’s Bay) and Wanganui Maori council districts. In 1925, j more out of curiosity than with the idea of achieving success, the Arawa district accepted an invitation to send a team to Dannevirke, where a district championship tournament was also held in conjunction with the Marumaru Cup competition. Entries for the championship events totalled 162, while four Maori council districts, namely. Tamatea, Wanganui, Kurahaupo and . Arawa; were represented. The Arawa r representatives were agreeably suri prised and, realising the possibilities such a tourney held for the Maori as a race, extended an invitation for the next tournament to be held at Rotorua. The Wanganui district team retained the cup and with that fine sense of sportsmanship which has always char- , acterised them when this trophy was at stake, accepted the invitation to defend the trophy at Rotorua. A RECORD TOURNAMENT Heretofore these competitions, although played under championship rules, had not the authority of theXew Zealand Lawn Tennis Association. For the tournament at Rotorua in 1926, an ! effort was made to place matters on i an official footing, all players being required to be members of affiliated | clubs. Thus Maori tennis clubs were I formed in many districts and the re- ! suit was a record tournament for : Easter of that year. The first Maori championship tournament authorised oy the New Zealand Lawn Tennis Association thus took place and created a record for the Southern Hemisphere with. Ch 4 entries. "When it is considered that the New Zealand championships (pskeha) of the preceding vear drew entries totalling 500-odd from a : population of 1 \ millions, the Maori i championship entries of 600-odd from i a population of 60,000 seems almost in- - credible, but nevertheless true, as an i examination of the draw sheets for that i tourney will show. Xlne Maori couni cil district*?, namely. Wanganui Knraj haupo, Tamatea, Takitimu, Horouta | Tongarirq, Arawa,. Waikato and X gati 1 Whatua. competed for the Marumaru j Cup, which was again retained by Wanganui by a narrow margin of ! points. The following perpetual trophies were presented and also competed for at this tournament: (1) The Morehu Turoa Cup. for competition under Davis Cup Rules, and donated by Mrs. Miki Thomas -.net Morehu Turoa). of Hawke's Bay. (2) The Tairawhiti Trophy, as an additional trophy for the women s championship doubles* and donated by the East Coast tribes. (3) The Arawa Trophy, as an additional trophy for mixed championship doubles, and donated by the Arawa tribes. These trophies served as an added stimulant to the already increasing interest the Maoris from all over the island were taking in the game. The need for a controlling body for Maori tennis became apparent and with f the valuable assistance and advice of j Sir Apirana Xgata, the Maori Lawn j Tennis Association was formed, and later affiliated with the parent body j the New Zealand Lawn Tennis Association. CONTROLLING BODY FORMED j The 1927 tournament was held at i Wanganui and although the entries fell | short of the preceding year’s total, it J was a huge success not only from the \ point of view of improved play, but from a social and intellectual viewpoint. The opportunity was taken to have discussions on various matters of utmost importance to the future of the race. It was emphasised and urged upon the players that there was something more than mere tennis in the competitions, and that they had to be I prepared to realise the true ennobling | instinct that was necessary if the j game was to be played in its true | spirit. Manners were necessary, and ! no; idle manners, but the fruit of a loyal nature and a noble mind. Members of tribes from all over ! New Zealand co-mingled, their differences. a' century old, forgotten and sunk upon the common field of sport. To quote the words of the wellknown Arawa Chief Mita Taupopoki: "Marumaru, you are a man j of foresight.” j The venue for this year s tournament is Hastings, and indications point to a record gathering. The entry of the Matatua Maori Council District is weli corned as indicating the growth of the game in that district, which embraces the mountainous Urewera Country inland and Whakatane to Opotiki on the I coast The present holders of the championship titles are: Men’s Championship Singles: P. H. Jones. Wanganui. Women's Championship Singles: Miss E. Hale, Tokoniaru Bay. Men’s Championship Doubles: P. H. Jones and Tukere te Atga, Wanganui. Women’s Championship Doubles: ; Miss Rukutai and Newton, Auckland. Mixed Championship Doubles: Miss KL Hei, Gisborne, and D. Potae, Wan- ! ganui. Girls’ Junior Championship: Miss D. Newton, Auckland. Boys’ Junior Championship: J. Semmens, Matata. Marumaru Cup: Arawa Maori Council District (Misses It. Karepe and R. Minarapa and P. and E. Howell). Morehu Turoa Cup: P. H. Jones and Tukere te Anga, Wanganui. At This tournament the question of sending Maori representative players to the New Zealand championship tournament will be considered and it is to be hoped that the management will rive its young players the opportunity of trying conclusions with their pakeha brethren, and thus gain the experience necessary to improve their game, j