The inaugural New Zealand University Winter Tournament, held in August, was, by nature of an experiment, a gratifying success. Otago University, who were the hosts, bore up admirably to the unenviable and, at one stage, apparently fruitless task of billeting and entertaining their 200 odd guests, and a most enjoyable time with the best of hospitality as had by all; in particular by the V.U.C. visitors.

A formal welcome was accorded to the visitors on their night of arrival, Thursday, and the Friday evening was taken up by the Joynt Scroll debates in which the V.U.C. representatives, it seems, were rather unfortunate in not being placed. On the Saturday evening, a crowded dance a la pick-up was held in Allen Hall and was well attended by the V.U.C. crowd, and was obviously enjoyed by those who had arrived via the Bowling Green. The Church service on the Sunday evening was held in Knox Church, this being followed by a screening of educational films in the Medical School. Those prepared for the heaviest of going attended the traditional "Rigger String" dance (?) on the Monday night, while the more discreet sought more discreet forms of amusement. And on top of all this there were hockey suppers, hockey dinners and table-tennis dinners. The main attraction on the last afternoon, Tuesday, besides the N.Z.U. v. Otago Province hockey matches, was the Horn which O.U. won decisively. O.U.'s time was exceptional, an in spite of V.U.C.'s being defeated, no discredit should be cast on our representatives' ability to 'toss them back in the true "Horn" fashion. In the evening the Ball was held to bring the Tournament to a close. The Ball, like most Tournament Balls, was comparatively quiet, the dancers shuffling about, very tired, but very, very happy. Tired as they all were, the people were sorry when the Ball ended at the unbelievably early hour of 1 a.m.

Mention must also be made of the fact that the 60 V.U.C. representatives were also engaged in playing out their various sports during the day, and in some cases, as in Table Tennis, Basketball and Fencing, during the early part of the evenings. Congratulations, well-deserved in all cases, are due to the Table Tennis team, which won the N.Z.T.T.A. shield; to the Harriers who, running second in the N.Z.U. Championships and being the first of the North Island teams, won the Shackleford Cup; and to our Soccer team, who won their championship. In the Men's and Women's Hockey, both teams started off well. The women held the ultimate winners, O.U., to a draw, while the men won their first two games 7 overwhelming margins. But for some reason peculiar to V.U.C. hockey teams, these teams fell away in their subsequent engagements, and both finished fourth out of six in their respective championships. In the three remaining sports, Men's Basketball, Golf and Fencing, the V.U.C. teams acquitted themselves admirably in view of the fact that their clubs had been formed only very recently. While the players were badly handicapped by their comparative inexperience at these sports, they were eliminated only after closely-contested and spirited matches. Since these sports are now to be permanently part of Winter Tournament, it is hoped that the memberships of the respective Clubs will increase and that the standard of play will accordingly be raised. It would be a bad mistake to let these clubs fall idle now that this year's tournament is over. The V.U.C. Tournament team of 1946 will be looking to these Clubs to see that this does not, happen.

On the whole, V.U.C. fared better than usual, and were able to edge A.U.C. out of third place. The trophy-winning teams already mentioned were largely responsible for this page 54 relative success, although the odd points gained by the other teams were by no means neglible. The following is the final table of points awarded for the Tournament Shield:—

Otago University	28	1—12
Canterbury University College	17	3—4
Victoria University College	16	7—12
Auckland University College	16	1—12
Massey Agricultural College	2	1—2
Canterbury Agricultural College		—

V.U.C., at least, did not have the distinction of winning the wooden spoon for the first Winter Tournament which, it would appear from past experience, is something unusual. Unusual about this Tournament, too, was the fact that V.U.C. representatives were able to refrain a little more from plaguing the public ear-drum with incessant "Huakinas!" This performing of the Haka in greater moderation is a hopeful sign for something very desirable in N.Z.U. Tournaments—greater maturity of behaviour among the members of College representatives.

Winter Tournament, 1945, was a success. There was one major fault, but, in view of the University session being already overloaded with non-academic activities, it is a fault which it will be hard ever to avoid. It is the lack of adequate time in which to meet everyone; in which to see every team in action in every contest. From the point of view of forming friendships, of creating an atmosphere of good-fellowship, this is desirable. But, if we cannot have ideal conditions, there is nothing to stop us from making the best of what we have, and making Winter Tournament a "good thing" from every point of view, permanently.