Salient. Victoria University Student Newspaper. Vol 35 no. 11. 31 May 1972
[Introduction]
A happy if somewhat weary New Zealand Universities Rifle Shooting team of six returned from a brief but very successful tour to Melbourne on Monday evening 22nd May.
The team selected from all University shooters at the recent Easter Tournament departed on 10th May a little doubtful of their ability to defeat the Australians with their larger numbers. However everyone was determined to try, and started off in a respectable fashion by taking part in a friendly shoot against Teams from Bacchus Marsh and Melbourne University Clubs at the Bacchus Marsh Range.
Conditions were good, and the NZU team scored 579 over 500 and 600 yards (600 possible) closely followed by Bacchus Marsh on 578 and Melbourne 562. New Zealands R. Gilchrist top scored with 99 The team enjoyed some socialising and sightseeing on the Sunday, and installed themselves on the Williamstown Range ready for the Australian Universities "Inter-Varsity".
The Monday and Tuesday were practice days over 3,5, 600 yards and 7,8,900 yds respectively. There were a few minor problems to iron out, but nothing serious, and certainly nothing to detract from a full and varied social programme which was organised. The weather and condition; were much like those in New Zealand at this time of year - never very hot, and at times rather cold and miserable. The range facing out onto Melbourne's Port Philip Bay was susceptible to sea breezes from in front of the shooters, or land breezes from behind, as well as some strong crosswinds (up to 25 minutes at 900 yds).
The Wednesday was the Australian Universities Intervasity competition, between 8man teams, 300, 500 and 600 yds. The New Zealanders, having only 6 men, doubled up two on each range and finished the day 4th place 12 points behind the leaders out of 1200 possible (Melb URC 1151, Adelaide URC 1148, Univ NSW RC 1146, NZU 1139)
On the Thursday morning the InterVarsity continued, and after a very encouraging shoot at 700 yds a range not normally used in NZ - the NZU team having won the range by a clear 7 points from Adelaide, were only 2 points behind the leaders.
However, as this was not really their competition a prior engagement had been arranged for the NZU team, so it was not possible to continue with 800 and 900 yds - which turned out to be very cold, wet and windy.
The Inter Varsity dinner was held that evening, and was a most enjoyable and colourful affair.
The big matches for the N.Z.U. vs Australian combined Universities match over the 'hard' ranges, 300, 600 and 900yds held on the Friday, and followed by a 6way team shoot on Saturday.
The Friday contest saw the New Zealanders emerge clear winners by 22 points in 900, but in fact the competition was much closer than this until the last range when the Australians were upset by some slight rifle trouble which cost them about 20 points. It is probably true to say that the New Zealanders gained their advantage because they had been able to co-ordinate their team better during the week.
Conditions on the day were rough enough to make things interesting, with odd showers of rain, and a gusting wind blowing into the shooters faces from the right, making a steady aim difficult.
The climax to the week was a most interesting match on Saturday afternoon. Conditions were very steady all day, and six teams took part in a 10-shot match at 400 yds (on 300 yd targets,) followed by 7 shot matches at 500 yds, and 600yds. Out of a possible 720, a Melbourne district Rifle Asson team won with 703 (after losing 16 points at 400 yds, and 1, by the last shooter, at 600 yds) Second was a Victorian Rifle Assn team with 696, then New-Zealand Universities on 691, Australian Universities 681, Australian Colleges of Advanced Education 656 and a Melbourne University Rifle Club Womens team on 607.
The New Zealanders felt that this was a very satisfactory ending to the weeks competitions, in which every team member had his day, enjoyed himself, and established what everybody hopes will be a long standing trans Tasman communication in University Rifle Shooting.
The Travelling Team were:-
P. Buckingham | Otago University |
R. Gilchrist. | |
P. Smith. | Lincoln College |
G. Adlam | Victoria University |
N. Wynn. | |
L. Plank. | Waikato University |