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The Spike: or, Victoria College Review, October 1910

The Path to — The 1911 Tournament

page 31

The Path to

The 1911 Tournament.

Auctor: On the 13th April next, on the eve of Good Friday, 1911,—

Lector: Excuse my interrupting, but "13th" and "Friday" (to say nothing Eve)— that's an unlucky start surly !

Auctor: Away with superstition! Fear not, dear Lector. I tell you, nay, I swear it, that the 13th April will prove anything but an unlucky day for you if you accompany the happy throng of students who will leave Wellington on that day to attend the Tournament of 1911. If you don't believe me, well, when you have an hour of two to spare, ask any of those who enjoyed the attraction of the Queen City of the North and the lavish hospitality of the A. U. C. students during the tournaments of 1903 and 1907.

Lector: You talk about "the Tournament " as though there were only one tournament ever held. Explain yourself. To what Tournament do you refer ?

Auctor: Well, I confess I didn't quite expect that question. When a college student speaks of "the Tournament" he means the N.Z. University Tournament in athletics, tennis and debating (and shall I add dancing?) which has been held during Easter in each year since 1902 at Christchurch, Auckland, Dunedin and Wellington in rotation in the order named. You must make up your mind to be one of v. C.'s chosen representatives next Easter. If you can't be one of the two debaters, you may gain a place in the Tennis team, which consists of four at least for a place in the athletic team, which has never yet had its full complement of "representatives," in the true sense of the term. It is galling, for instance, to think that out of all the athletic men at our College we cannot get a good weight putter. If we could get fifty of our most likely men to have a friendly bout some evening I feel sure we should discover one or two men who would acquit themselves creditably with practice. But, alas, all our men are so positive beforehand that they would "be no good at it"

Lector: You make me feel I want to try myself; but it's no use growling at me because the other forty-nine page 32 fellows won't turn out. Tell me instead whither is this happy throng of students setting out on the 13th April next ?

Auctor: For Auckland. The representatives of O. U. and C.C. will arrive here on the Thursday morning, and after an hour of two in Willington, will leave in company with the v. C. representatives by the Main Trunk train on their nineteen hours' journey. About a hundred students—perhaps more—will be travelling in each other's company for about 400 miles—mostly strangers, I grant you on leaving this city —all rivals seeking each other's scalps, but before Auckland is reached, if the experience of past Tournaments be any guide, many lasting friendships will have been formed between those who but for the Tournament might never have met one another.

To enlarge upon the benefits" to all concerned of this meeting with the "big fellows" of the other Colleges, would be to insult your intelligence.

Lector: Thank you, Auctor; your eloquence and discrimination doe you credit, But what happens in Aucklnd after the delights of the train journey are over?

Auctor: Well, on arrival early on Good Friday morning, the A. U. C. students will first attend to the billeting of those visitors who wish to be so accommodated. There will probably be an official reception of the visitors on Saturday morning, after which the Tennis Champion ships will be commenced. There will be a picnic in the moonlight the same day. Easter Monday is devoted to the Athletic Championship, the Debating Contest taking place in the evening the tennis concluded on Tuesday, and a glorious dance will follow. Assuming that the Main Trunk time-table remains the same as at present, the return journey will be begun at 9 p. m. on either Tuesday or Wednesday night after Easter.

Lector: It sounds like a page from the Arabian Nights. One win't feel inclined to come back at all! At any rate, I feel convinced that I ought to "get busy" and see Dave Smith of Frank Wilson about it.

Auctor: Thank you, Lector. I am glad to have met you. A real "trier" is sure to get there. I'll see you in Auckland at Easter, and, meantime, we'll meet on the training field.

Lector: Thank you. I shall "get there" if I can. Au revoir.