Are New Zealanders slaves to sporting traditions? This question arises as the result of the cable message from London which stated that the New Zealand Olympic team arrived in London during a heavy rainstorm—wearing their straw hats!

There was a certain amount of the humorous, perhaps, in the lads wearing their “straws” in such weather but, seriously, there is an even greater indictment on the sporting administrators of the Dominion.

Ever since the 1905 Rugby Union team had that successful football tour of England, Ireland and Wales, the mana of the “All Blacks” has been great. It has become the accepted thing for all New Zealand sports teams to be outfitted in black—except in such sports as cricket and tennis—and by carrying this fetish out the representatives of this Dominion are penalised.

When Randolph Rose toured England, Finland and France, in company with veteran hammer-thrower Jack McHolm, he wore the All Black athletic outfit supplied to him by the New Zealand Amateur Athletic Association. His costume did not evoke much comment in England, but when he ran in Finland and France the athletes of those countries were amazed at the uniform. They explained that black clothing attracts and holds the heat rays and that he was being stifled by his sombre track clothing while they —in their lighter hued suits—were not feeling the ill-effects of the heat.

There are few countries in the world to-day which outfit their sporting representatives in dark costumes—certainly not many with black as the colour—and the day may come when New Zealand will adopt a more attractive and more “humane” sports colour for her athletes.

Sports Side of our Centenary.

In four years’ time New Zealand will be celebrating her “Centennial” or “Centenary” and naturally enough the question will arise as to the form in which the sporting authorities will celebrate the great period in the life of the Dominion. In 1940 the Olympic Games are to be held—more than likely they will be held in Japan—and this will make it extremely difficult for the staging of international sports contests in the Dominion that year. The Games commence in August and naturally enough few countries would care to allow their athletes to travel to New Zealand for summer sport and then expect them to show good form six months later.

It may be possible to secure a team of Japanese track athletes, swimmers and tennis players for a tour of the Dominion. This country, with the Games being held, in her own “back yard” would have every opportunity to sort out a strong team in the months preceding the Games and still allow a strong team picked from the previous year's champions to tour New Zealand.

The chances of a team of British Association Footballers coming to New Zealand for the celebrations should not be overlooked. While admitting that, the standard does not appear to be exceptionally high in New Zealand at the present time, it must be admitted that there are more and more young New Zealanders taking up the “round ball” code and a tour by an English team would do all that is needed to firmly establish this code in public popularity.

New Zealand's Own Lovelock.

Any doubts that may have existed about the fitness of New Zealand's great miler, Jack Lovelock, must have been dispelled early in June, when the cables told New Zealanders that he had covered three miles in 14min. 20 1/5secs. This time is not good enough to win at an Olympic gathering, but when compared with his performances last year—at about the same period of the season—it shows that the form he held immediately prior to racing Cunningham and Bonthron in the “Mile of the Century” has been regained. This view is further endorsed by his run in the four mile relay on 5th July, when he was credited with having run 4min. 18secs. for his mile stretch of the race.

Lovelock is the ideal athlete—in every respect. He runs for the fun of it. In fact this was the greatest feature of his wonderful race in America in July of last year. Americans were amazed that a man could travel across the Atlantic Ocean with the express purpose of competing against the best athletes America could offer and then run with evident enjoyment and with no desire to break records. Secondly, Lovelock has the ideal action and physique for the mile runner. He is not heavily built and has light, longmuscled legs. Thirdly, he is a master of judgment of pace; not only his own but also that of his opponent or opponents, and can sum up their capabilities. But greater than all these put together is his ability to place sport page 61 in its proper perspective. He does not allow sport to interfere with his search for knowledge. As a medical student in London, Lovelock has heavy duties to perform—and he carries out these regular duties before he will do any training. Just what a sacrifice this means cannot be appreciated by any but those who have been closely associated with champion athletes, or who have been in the top ranking of champions—men who have been invited to travel from place to place. Lovelock's case is even more striking. He has been invited to compete in almost every country in the world, but has resolutely set his face against travelling. Even when he competed in America he made a rush trip over and a hurried trip back. If resoluteness of purpose brings success, Lovelock is assured of a very happy future. New Zealanders will wish him all success in what should be the crowning race of his athletic career—the 1500 metres at the Olympic Games.

The late Mr. E. G. Sutherland.

New Zealand has produced many fine all-round athletes on track and field, but few could boast of a better record than E. G. (“Buz”) Sutherland. Born in the Manawatu district fortytwo years ago, he represented both New Zealand and South Africa in international athletics, won English, Scottish, South African, and New Zealand athletic titles, and filled fifth place in the most arduous of all athletic contests at the Olympic Games in 1924—the decathlon.

Sutherland won thirteen New Zealand titles embracing the broad jump, hop, step and jump, high jump, pole vault, shot putt, and javelin throw.

At a Rotary luncheon in South Canterbury the other day the talk drifted round to smoking, and an ancient mariner remarked, “I'd be lost without my pipe! When some months ago I consulted my doctor for throat trouble he hinted I might have to give up smoking altogether. I was flabbergasted! Seeing me upset he asked what brand of tobacco I usually smoked. ‘Cut it out!’ he roared when I told him, ‘like so many brands today it's foul with nicotine!’ Then he calmed down. ‘You'll have to go slow for a bit,’ he said, ‘but smoking in moderation—till you're better—won't hurt you, so long as it's toasted—the genuine toasted I mean, mind. I smoke it myself. There's next to no nicotine in it.’ Well, I did as I was told and was soon O.K. again. But I still stick to toasted. You can't beat it!” Smokers everywhere will say, “Hear! hear!” But, as the doctor said it must be genuine toasted—Cut Plug No. 10 (Bullshead), Cavendish, Navy Cut No. 3 (Bulldog), Riverhead Gold and Desert Gold.^*

When this accomplished athlete was killed at Palmerston North early in July as the result of a fall from his bicycle—a handbag caught on the handle-bars and prevented the free progress of the machine—New Zealand lost one of its most accomplished athletic sons. His widow, formerly Miss Marjorie Collins, was wellknown as a prominent lady sprinter a few years ago.

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Three months ago it was almost impossible for New Zealanders to attend a boxing contest; there was not a bout on the horizon. To-day the gloved sport is beginning to regain the position it occupied before the advent of the “modern” wrestlers. Much of the credit for this return to popularity may be given Cyril Pluto, of Australia, and Roy de Gans, American negro. These men came to New Zealand at a time when boxing contests were rare, but with a display of honest-to-goodness fighting rapidly re-established the sport. New Zealanders are ripe for another boom period of boxing, and with Joe Hall, Australia's best featherweight, in the country to meet New Zealand's best, the lighter men who were neglected over a period when heavyweights in Southland supplied the only boxing in the Dominion, are girding their loins and preparing to reap a financial harvest.

New Zealanders have been proud to act as hosts to the Fijian women's hockey team during the last few weeks. A visit from any overseas team is always a matter of import and the latest “invasion” has given the fair sex something to talk about.