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Salient. An Organ of Student Opinion at Victoria College, Wellington, N.Z. Vol. 2, No. 8. May 31, 1939

Sport

page 4

Sport

Vacation Results Poor

Rugby and Hockey teams gained few victories daring the vacation. Beginning the season well by defeating Eastbourne 19-3, the Rugby seniors then sustained three successive defeats—by Marist 8-10, Poneke 3-22, and Wellington 8-17. Last Saturday they drew with Athletic, 6-all. The team can do better than this.

Opening by drawing with Wesley, no score, the hockey seniors then lost to Technical 2-5, defeated Wellington 3-2, but last week, much weakened by the absence of prominent players at the Inter-College Tournament at Christchurch, they lost to Karori 0-8.—L.B.S.

Harriers

Although attendances have been affected by the vacation, the harriers have had some good runs over the last four Saturdays, including two races.

On 6th May a course of about six miles was covered at Island Bay. Afterward members adjourned to the home of Mr. and Mrs. J. O. Shorland, where an enjoyable afternoon tea was served.

The following Saturday the novice race of 2½ miles at Worser Bay resulted:—Newall 1st, Northey 2nd. O'Flynn 3rd. Newall won by about 75 yards, Northey passing O'Flynn over the last fifty yards.

This race was followed on 20th May by a rather strenuous run at Karori.

Sherwood Cup.

Last Saturday the annual sealed handicap race for the Sherwood Cup was held over a course of three miles at Paekakariki. On the revised times. C. G. Wilson proved the winner of the Cup. S. K. Newall being first man home. In this race Newall took the lead after about ½ a mile, with Northey and O'Flynn following him. About halfway along the road Newall was joined by Scrymgeour, who had come up fast, the former going to the front over the rough country that followed. At the finish Newall was about 100 yards ahead of Scrymgeour, a similar distance separating him from Northey.

The actual placings were:—

Newall, 1st: Scrymgeour. 2nd; Northey, 3rd. Newall's time was 19m. 17secs.

The revised times resulted:—C. G. Wilson (2m. 30s.) 19m. 06s., 1st: Newall (scr.) 19m. 17s, 2nd: C. J. V. Wilson (1m. 40s. 19m. 29s., 3rd.

After the race the runners were the guests of Mr. G. C. Sherwood at afternoon tea, when the cup was presented to the winner.

C. G. Wilson finished in 14th place.

It is to be hoped that his success will spur him to further efforts. Oliver, another newcomer to the club, was unfortunately not eligible to compete for the handicap trophy, but showed some of the stalwarts his heels in finishing eighth. Dick Daniell, too, was well up and seems to be improving fast.

Basketball

Reporting on the commencement of ate basketball season is most pleasant from the personal angle but very dismal from the point of view of results in Saturday competitions. Three teams will be maintained with relative ease and practices, which have been well attended, are making for a good spirit amongst the members. But Saturdays have been rather woeful so far.

Holidays and sickness have affected the Senior A team so seriously that the same nine has not been on the court in two games. Result—there defeats. The last game against [unclear: Awatea], however, was heartening and the two goal loss I with three B players in the nine) promised some success later in the season when the whole team is at College and without changes. The B players gave a very good account of themselves indeed in all games.

A third grade game in the vacation resulted in a 10-8 loss. When their ranks are settled there might be some upsets for teams in this division. The fresher members of the Club look like business.

The greatest weakness in all teams is in the forward third. Partly poor shooting and partly slow and unsure [unclear: osit'onn] work account for extra hard work for the whole team and discouraging scores. The A team with Joy Osborn back and Pixle [unclear: Higgi] [unclear: tr] her hand at goalie seemed a little better on the last [unclear: Sntur] and may yet reproduce last [unclear: season] excellent form.

The Club Gym night is still Tuesday at 8 p.m. All girls are welcome for a [unclear: round] whether eager for [unclear: team] or not.

Rugby

A full review of rugby form will appear in next week's issue.

Men's Hockey

Comments on the form of the players, who represented Victoria at the annual Inter-College Hockey Tournament, this year held at Christchurch, will appear in next week's issue. The team did fairly well until its last match, in which it was swamped by Otago by 14 goals to 2.

Fielding six teams each Saturday, one more than last year, the club is not short of players. 'Varsity invariably begins the hockey season badly. The chief cause is lack of practice and training before competition matches start. But by the third or fourth Saturday it is usual to find that all the teams are doing much better. Perhaps next week, the fifth Saturday, V.U.C. teams will show better form. In palliation of their failure to win more than one game out of six last Saturday, it can perhaps be advanced that some teams were disorganized through the absence of prominent players in Christchurch.

But to take the teams in the three top grades—the Senior 1st Division team, the Senior 2nd Division team, and the Senior Reserve team. Each has played four matches. The Seniors have won 1. drawn 1. and lost 2. They have scored five goals altogether, and fifteen (including eight in the last game. when the team played short) have been scored against them. Sharp, formerly captain of the South land representatives, has proved a valuable acquisition and has been playing consistently well at center-half.

Team-Work Needed.

Neither the Senior Seconds nor the Senior Reserves have had much chance to develop combination. Good individual play has been nullified by weakness in team-work. As far as is practicable, the same players should be allowed to play together for at least the next two or three matches. Each team has been handicapped by a constantly changing personnel.

The Senior Seconds have won one of their four matches, scoring six goals against eighteen, but the other team has yet to break the ice. The goal tally is only four, to set against thirteen by opponents.

For the Senior Reserves. Dr. Campbell has been a tower of strength at left-half. With A. Long at center-half and F. H. Stewart at left-half, this team should be very strong in this department. Stewart will be remembered as Club Captain and captain of the V.U.C. seniors several years ago. He has been in England for eighteen months. Till, although only a second-year player, is also playing well.

Should Win Matches.

The Second Senior team should win more matches than it loses from now on. Like the Senior Reserve team. It has been handicapped by a changing personnel, particularly in the forward line. Bryan, right-wing, is fast and experienced, and when in form. Renouf at center-forward has good ball control. Wallace, left-wing, attracted attention by speedy runs, last Saturday. The team should develop strength on defense. Olive's judgment in goal is seldom at fault. Walker and Sandford, the full-backs, combine well, and the halves, McIntosh. Good and Purdie, are sound, experienced players. For several seasons I. Purdie has been one of the most consistent and reliable half-backs in the club. His tackling and stopping are particularly effective. Whitham, a promising half-back last season is now playing in the forwards, where his excellent stick-work may prove of equal value.

Table Tennis

Now affiliated to the Wellington Table Tennis Association, the V.U.C. Club has entered four teams in the competition—one in C Grade, two in D Grade, and one in the E Grade.

The C grade team has won its matches so far, "Enap" was defeated by 11 games to 9 in the first one and in the second, against Social Security Department, we gained an excellent victory by 18 games to 2.

Matches in the other grades have resulted in the first D Grade team defeating P. and T. Workshops by 11 games to 9 the second D Grade team drawing with Rintoul Street, and the E Grades losing to Shipping by 8 games to 12.

Sport at Oxford

Far From Decadent

(This article was written for "Salient" by a former Rhodes Scholar now residing; in Wellington.)

There are 26 men's colleges at Oxford and each of them has its own sports grounds. My own college, St. John's, had ten grass tennis courts and four hard courts, as well as a hockey ground, a Rugby ground, and a soccer ground. Besides the college grounds, the University Sports Clubs, have their own grounds, and there are also squash and badminton courts, golf courses, lacrosse grounds, and a large Ice rink. Almost every known sport is the subject of contest between the colleges, and between Oxford and Cambridge. As well as the more obvious sports, there are point-to-point races, motor car rallies, polo, and alpine-climbing contests.

Sport at Oxford is the very reverse of "decadent," because almost everyone plays some game three or four afternoons a week, and there are few spectators. All undergraduates are full-time students.

The Inter-College matches in Rugby, hockey, tennis, etc., arranged for two or three afternoons each week, are the main sporting events, and these are for no trophy or competition but purely for the game's sake. There are always a number of "away" matches arranged between each college team and such institutions as Sandhurst, the Hospitals. Eton and other public schools. In addition to all this, the comparatively few in line for University representative teams are members of University clubs in addition to the College clubs.

The Inter-University contests and other gladiatorial sporting efforts are a quantitatively insignificant part of the sporting activity of the undergraduate. Since the Oxford vacations amount in all to six months of the year, many itinerant tours are arranged, and also most undergraduates associate themselves with local clubs in their own districts, composed of leisured people almost entirely.

It will be seen from the above that Oxford life for a sportsman approaches the Paradisaical.

Boots and Pack

Once again boots and packs were given an airing when trampers visited the ever popular Tauherenikau Valley. If the trip had been made during the term, no doubt the party would have been considerably larger. But even so the leader had his time fully occupied in feeding 30 hungry faces.

At the outset, many found that the first hill had not been misnamed "The Puffer." On arriving at the hut, four of the party with appropriate rations disappeared in a northerly direction to make acquaintance with Alpha, under the able leadership of Ron Meek. The rumor goes that they slept soundly on Saturday night. Led by Bonk Scotney, five others made a strenuous weekend of it by tramping to the Waiohina River only to find it impassable.

After lunch the main party went for a scramble in the precipitous Tauherenikau Gorge and returned early to find the hut invaded by 23 new arrivals. During the evening the V.U.C. performed their parlour tricks: namely a few hakas and the best known Extrav songs. The Hutt Valley Club followed up by leading many popular numbers.

A Rainy Sunday.

Sunday was heralded by the heavy tread of boots, the crackling of wood and the incessant patter of rain. Despite the downpour the leader, backed by seven undaunted stalwarts, paid a short call on Top Hut only to find that large portions of the walls had been used to light fires. At this point the Alpha party surprised themselves by finding Top Hut in the middle of the track so the 12 joined forces and retraced their steps towards base camp. On returning, they were welcomed royally and fed on old faithful —-the sausage.

Besides this, the trip was notable for other reasons. It has been said that during his short stay, the great Powell distinguished himself twice. Once by bounding animal-like through the undergrowth in an unsuccessful attempt to scare an innocent tramperette and on the second occasion by disappearing with a portion of the party food into the inaccessible woodlands beyond Cone Saddle. The matter is now in the hands of the N.Z. Alpine Club.

Did Shirley Grinlinton and Marie Collin bathe in the river? We cannot say for certain as there were no official witnesses.

The Cone Saddle-Totara Flats track requiring the attention of the club as it had become overgrown. Derek Freeman and Bonk Scotney donned their size 12 boots and grasping the club slasher firmly in both hands, rushed over the trail at least three times. The track is now unmistakable.