ARMY SPORT

Wairarapa Times-Age, 9 July 1943, Page 3

ARMY SPORT

4, • GAMES IN NEW CALEDONIA. RUGBY. SOCCER & OTHER CONTESTS. (Official War Correspondent, N.Z.E.F.) NEW CALEDONIA, June 22. Bright and fast Rugby was seen when teams representing ’Divisional Headquarters and Base Units met in a special challenge match in New Caledonia at the weekend as part of a sports programme that included Rugby, Soccer, boxing and wrestling. A number of well-known players took part, and though the Divisional team, which had played together for several matches, proved too good, play was frequently exciting and always fast and willing. An A.S.C. side represented Division, and Base units drew from all their teams. Two All Blacks, G. Tittleton (Auckland and New Zealand League) and Ron Ward (Southland and New Zealand Rugby) captained the Divisional and Base teams respectively. Ward retired during the first spell with a facial injury, but Tittleton, playing at centre and later at second-flVe-eighth ,turned on the best exhibition among the backs of either side. Division set the pace at the start. Johnson scoring, and then paving the way for a try by C. H. Betts, which C. G. Gordon, formerly a Canterbury sprint champion, converted. C. Thomp son scored for Division in the second spell, and K. V. Paul for Base. Division won 11-3. In a fast Soccer game between Divisional and Base teams, Base won 4-2. Scorers for Base were R. E. Hannan (Auckland) (2), J. Scott (Wellington) and W. Bentley (Auckland). For Divisional Headquarters D. Penman (Hastings) and G. F. Willers (Dunedin) scored. An open boxing and wrestling tournament was held in the evening, when excellent bouts were witnessed. Several of the boxers had appeared in amateur bouts in New and one, Don Glengarry, was a noted professional lightweight and welterweight in Wellington, reaching the final of a New Zealand championship in 1936. E. Crawford, an Auckland boy who has fought several times in Northern Boxing Association bouts in New Zealand, D. Campbell, a Dunedin amateur of ten years ago, and E. R. G. Woods, Stratford, had been in the ring before they entered the Army, but the remainder of the contestants were only recent recruits to boxing. J. G. Dreaver, Dunedin, had a good bout with B. B. Quinn, Hawke’s Bay. This was the best fight of the evening. Quinn being just too strong.