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Men's Hockey Club

While not pessimistic, we must record that this season's activity has not been as successful as was originally hoped. Many factors, more notably in regard to membership numbers, have militated against the Club's making the brave show cxpceted of it.

To begin with, Davis, last year's Senior A goalie, has resigned his hockey for the more serious and exacting practice of married life, and the vacancy which he left has remained unfilled. Then, again, Ken. Struchers, one of the very best inside forwards we have had for some time, transferred to Palmer-ston North. Later in the year, R. Martin, who occupied the important and mysterious role of roving half in the Senior A's peculiar fourhalves formation, went north to a teaching billet, and left the intricate vagaries of this position to less versatile members, who were unable to cope with it. The outcome was, of course, that the unorthodox formation was quietly shelved and the more regular one resumed.

I say more regular, since, lacking a goalkeeper, the First Eleven were constrained to play three fullbacks.

An empty goal might have meant hundreds of scores for the team's opponents had not N. R. Jacobsen been one of the three full-backs played, and he, with remarkable verve and a skill undiminished by his years, has been a splendid last line of defence.

The Club has much to show for itself, in spite of an absence of purely statistical successes. During the Inter-Varsity Tournament at Christchurch, no fewer than five members of Victoria's team were recruited from Senior B grades to fill vacancies in the First Eleven. Abraham, Grant, Eggleston, Mc-Ewan and Webb, the players concerned, all rose to the occasion and the strong Canterbury team were able to prevail by only 4 goals to 2, after a hard, even struggle. Since the Tourney, Grant, Webb and McEwan have retained their places.

Two N.Z. Blues were awarded Victoria, and con-gratulations must be extended to the recipients—L. Denby and F. H. Stewart, the team's captain. McEwan, who was an emergency, is also to be congratulated.

A New Zealand University Hockey Team is to tour Fiji, and included in this are McEwan, Denby, Stewart and Newcombe. Our felicitations to these chaps are in no way less hearty because F. H. Stewart was one of the selectors.

We have had great difficulty in keeping the six teams entered in the Wellington Hockey Association's Championships at full strength, and it is regretted that such an earnest and persevering team as the Fourths should have suffered most from this shortage.

Of the other teams (two Senior B, one Junior and one Third), the most consistent is the Junior team, which, to date, has had only one win.

It is noteworthy that a commendable team spirit has arisen this year, a team spirit which has never existed as strongly before, right throughout the Club.

In H. (Snow) Williams, the Club has a Club Captain par excellence. Always alive to the interests of the Club as a whole, and unfailingly helpful to members, whether augustly Senior or raw beginners.

To the ample fund of Mr. N. R. Jacobsen's experience the Club owes a very great debt, also, and we hope once more to have his aid next year.