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Salient. An Organ of Student Opinion at Victoria College, Wellington N.Z. Vol. 1, No. 7 April 27, 1938

V.U.C. Wins Tournament Shield Stout Work at Auckland

V.U.C. Wins Tournament Shield Stout Work at Auckland

For the first time since 1929, V.U.C. representatives were successful in winning the annual Inter University Tournament, with 9¼ points in hand. It was in all ways an excellent performance. The members of the teams deserve every congratulation.

In every respect it was a memorable Tournament for V.U.C.

Auckland was seen at its best every day but Sunday being brilliantly fine and very hot. Heavy showers on Sunday afternoon made the grass courts at Stanley Street and the track at the domain rather sticky.

Preliminaries

An hour after the train had arrived the New Zealand Students Association officers had met in the Council Room at the University to begin what proved to be the marathon event of the Tournament.

At 2.30 p.m. on Friday all gathered in the College Hall at A.U.C. (and this is a hall as is a hall) to be welcomed by the Auckland College Council. Tournament Delegates and Students' Association. The Speeches were commendably brief, bright in places, and created a good atmosphere for the events to come.

The press bureau had also met in the morning and continued, with small and insignificant periods of rest, until Tuesday morning. The Press Bureau was a new event for the Tournament, having only been formed in the past twelve months as the result of a suggestion made at the 1937 contest. Work was done which it is hoped will prove of value in the next year or two.

The games opened on Saturday morning with Tennis at Stanley Street. Athletics at the Domain, and Boxing at the Town Hall. In the latter V.U.C. had by the end of the morning managed to win three bouts. Coveney's fight was particularly interesting.

First Blood.

In the afternoon at 1 p.m. came the Basketball. At this event V.U.C. supporters established a slight vocal superiority which was never after wards seriously challenged by the other colleges. Our girls had first to play Auckland. It was their hardest game. The latter established a slight lead early, and for the first ten minutes seemed likely to win. Urged on by hakas and cheers. V.U.C. had drawn level by half-time. The second half was a neck and neck struggle, with V.U.C. improving steadily all the time. Grim determination and terrific hakas and cheers put the local girls just in front with two minutes to go. They stayed put First blood to V.U.C.! The noise was deafening.

During the progress of the second game, the news came that the Shooting team had been successful. More hakas and cheers. V.U.C. two up!

The remaining Basketball games saw many excursions on the part of supporters in search of a cure for throat trouble.

Progress reports from Stanley Street indicated that we were doing well at Tennis, and 5 p.m. found V.U.C. looking very cheerful.

Most of the men had tea in town that evening of course.

In the Ring.

The Boxing finals occupied the first half of Saturday evening. V.U.C. supporters were grouped in a strategic position in the Gallery right above the ring. Here they were well placed to encourage their men and to meet the vocal attacks of rival supporters. It was well that this was so, for the opposition was fierce. As each man stepped into the ring under the flood-lights he was roundly cheered. V.U.C. with masterly strategy made no sound until the announcer had called Coveney, our first man, and his opponent together to announce weights. Then when he said: "On my right K. Coveney, V.U.C." the building shook.

A gloom fell over our gathering of the loyal and true when the news came that Trillo had injured his arm and could not fight. It was dispelled later when Arnott put up a splendid showing against McFadzen of Otago.

Only one weight to our credit, but oh boy, the noise we made!

Then to the rendezvous at A.U.C. with the temperature at something like 120 in the shade. A good time was had by all at the rendezvous.

Sunday.

Sunday was a day of rest, in the afternoon everyone foregathered at A.U.C. for a drive. Two or three heavy showers fell, but the air soon cleared. After a tour of some of Auckland's suburbs, we made our way to the Auckland Grammar School (near the foot of Khyber Pass) where the Court of Convocation had prepared afternoon teak for the visiting teams. On Sunday evening at 8 p.m. we repaired to the Tivoli Theatre, where a gangster-cum-g-man film was given a lively reception by the four colleges.

Rowing.

On Monday morning came what was to many, one of the hightlights of the Tournament—the Rowing. Due to start at 9.30 a.m., the race was delayed for over an hour, owing to the presence of dinghies and launches (unofficial) on the course. Although the day was fine a moderate off-shore breeze put a very light chop on the water and made it difficult to hold the boats steady in line for the starter's gun was heard, and the race was on. V.U.C. were second from the shore, and from the start made the most of their position to obtain as smooth a passage as possible. The result is now history, Much argument has already been heard as to what would have happened had Canterbury not "caught a crab." It looked to us at the finish of the race as if our chaps had a little in hand yet. They were fairly fresh, and one is inclined to think that they would have gone faster to win had it been necessary. Our eight were given a warm reception. A triumph of shrewdness, fitness, and excellent combination had given V.U.C. its third win. Things were now definitely interesting. For the first time hushed voices asked: "Do you think we've got any chance...? It now became possible to say: "I don't know, but it looks like it."

Round the Track

At 2.30 we adjourned to the Domain to witness the Athletics. The position at this stage was V.U.C. 15¼ points. Auckland 6 1/2. Otago 6¼, and Canterbury 6. Even now we felt that with so many points possible going to another College in Athletics and Swimming, V.U.C. might even yet be robbed of victory.

But the Athletics showed that Victoria was not entirely without talent. Adams performed well in the sprints. Irving in the hurdles, Scrimgeour in the three [unclear: m] Given a dry track Scrim might well have made new figures for the three miles race. These three, apart altogether from minor placings, split the points effectively. When the usual brawl or hooley for college mascots had brought the proceedings to a close, they were divided very evenly between the four Colleges: Otago 7. Canterbury 6. Auckland 4. Victoria 3 and the wooden spoon.

Swimming and Moonlight.

The swimming at the Tepid Baths was Canterbury's night out. Before a crowded gallery, packed with cheering, yelling multitudes of students, they gained 5 points out of a possible 10.

Thus the result of the Tournament depended on the Tennis finals to be played on Tuesday.

In the meantime, after the Swimming, we all laid aboard the s.s. "Duchess" for a moonlight cruise to Walheke island. It was a perfect evening with a brilliant moon and scarcely a breath of wind. Owing to a late start it was not possible to land the excursionists on the island. Still, as George remarked: "Perhaps it's just as well they didn't. They'd never have got them back again."

Many unusual ways of passing the evening pleasantly were seen. Frank Fortune in particular seemed to enjoy a new sport he has discovered.

Victory in Sight.

On Tuesday the Tennis decided the fate of the Tournament Shield and brought the meeting to a close. The faint chance of winning the Shield which we had secretly nourished since Saturday had grown bolder in expression and by the time the Tennis began on Tuesday morning we were fairly confident. Our confidence in our Tennis team was fully justified. They placed the issue clearly beyond doubt. With all the finalists in the men's singles and men's doubles V.U.C. men, the women's singles gone to Elizabeth McLean, and Pat Edwards and Marie Fletcher in the final of the women's doubles, we were at last placed in an unassailable position at the head of the Tournament Shield aspirants. It seemed too good to be true. Victoria, the Cinderella of New Zealand Universities, had wished a wish, and it had come true.

Cinderella's Ball

Much could and should be said of the ball. For the first part the proceedings were a little formal, but that soon melted, and by midnight formalities were a thing of the past. The breakdown began with the presentation of trophies. (You should have seen Bob Edgley walk up to take the Tournament Shield! Was he and were we pleased?) After this had been applauded suitably things could not possible become formal again and the band, the floor, the atmosphere, and several other things combined to make it one of the biggest balls ever seen in Auckland.

It was a fitting conclusion to a splendid Tournament.

Then came the Journey home. Let's not talk about it.

—A.H.S.