WOMEN’S HOCKEY

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 330, 16 April 1928, Page 11

WOMEN’S HOCKEY

YEAR’S PLAY REVIEWED SHORTAGE OF GROUNDS The past season may be considered to have been a good one, but it cannot bo said that the standard of play showed much improvement on the previous year,” says the report to ba presented at the 25th annual meeting of the Auckland Ladies’ Hockey Association last Monday evening. “Somo improvement was noticeable, duo principally to the efforts of the Referees' Association, but generally speaking the standard of play atfll leaves much to be desired.” This season saw a still further increase in number of teams entering, the report continues. Despite the fact that Inter-House was forced to withdraw its team at the last minute, li junior teams and eight senior teams took part in the competition. Y.W.C.A. Club is to be congratulated on entering still another junior grade team, making a total of four teams; Somerville on entering a second team, making one junior and one senior grad*; team, and Papakura and Wesley Club.-, which made their first entry in the association’s junior grade competition, in making such a. splendid showing during the season. It was to be regretted that owing to expected ground shortage applications for entry of several other team-, had to be discouraged, especially as it was found later that these could possibly have been catered for. Efforts wero made by the association to i secure some additional grounds to , alleviate the shortage, but all such . offer Is proved fruitless, although pro--1 mises were made by the City Counci . it is to be regrettd that the Training College Club considered it necessary to withdraw its four teams just before the completion of the season. The following statistics show the growth of the game in Auckland, as I indicated by the increase in the num- | her of teams. Junior teams are given : in parentheses: 1923, 4 (3); 1924, 5 (6); ’ 1925, 6 <8); 1926, 7 (9) ; 1927, 8 (11).

During the past three years, at least, applications for entry into the association’s competitions from new clubs and teams have had to be discouraged because of ground shortage. That hockey for women is becoming increasingly popular through the pro vince is evident from figures showing the numerical strength of the subassociations. The number of teams is given in parentheses after the num ber of associations: 1923, 12 (42); 1924. 30 (38); 1925. 3 (41); 1926, 10 (44). 1927. 13 (77). The balance sheet showed a o edibalance of £29 11s Id, which is verv satisfactory, considering the only income was derived from donations received, affiliation fees, and the additional fund raising efforts of the > ers themselves. The Auckland J-adies’ Hockey Association made still further efforts t*> impress upon the City Council the nc*»d for the provision of a girls' sport - ! ground in Auckland and was r* prt ! sented on a deputation which placed ! some suggestions before the mem j bers of the Parks and Reserves Committee of that body under the pa »n- ---; age of Miss A. Basten. city councillo and also at a tour of inspection ;to suggested suitable sites. Promiw - were given by the committee, but s*. i far none n^ to "ialis^L