New Zealanders are said to quick at adapting themselves to sport and this also holds good for those who have resided in the Dominion for a period of years, although they were not born here. The visit last year of a team of Indian hockey players aroused keen enthusiasm, not only among those who had been playing or following the game, but also among those who were seeing hockey played for the first time.

Among those in the latter category were many young Indians whose employment has kept them busy in Wellington. They showed a desire to take part in hockey, and Eddie McLeod, New Zealand representative at cricket and at hockey, agreed to coach them in the fundamentals of the game. It has been generally supposed that hockey comes to Indians as second nature, but this view is not held by the stars of the Indian team. In an article written for a New Zealand sporting paper by M. N. Masud, vice-captain of the team, this famous player drew attention to the little-known fact that Indian players undergo a great deal of preparatory training, taking each movement step by step. He assured New Zealand players that the high standard set by Dhyan Chand, “the wizard of the willow,” is not beyond their scope providing that sacrifices are made and attention paid to a long period of training.

But granting Masud his point, it must be admitted that there is some inherent ability possessed by native races which gives them an advantage over the white races—some sense of rhythm and timing that is particularly noticeable in hockey or football. The percentage of Maoris who excel at football—and at hockey, although the stick game is not given so much encouragement as football—is sufficient evidence that the native has a start on the white athlete in specified sports.

Interest in Cycling and Boxing.

Tours of New Zealand by visiting sports teams do a vast amount of good to the game by giving an impetus to public interest. One sport to receive a fillip of late is cycling. A team of Australian pedallers—F. Thomas, P. Veitch and two New Zealanders who had been residing in Australia, H. Turtill and A. Ralston—competed at two meetings in the King Country, and at Otorohanga attracted an attendance of 14,000. Unfortunately these pedallers came over under contract to the Te Kuiti and Otorohanga clubs and were unable to compete at other meetings during their stay in New Zealand, although they took the opportunity while in the South Island to give demonstrations on the “rollers,” those whirring wheels which assist cyclists to train indoors.

Another sport to get a helping hand as the result of a visit by overseas competitors is boxing. When Cyril Pluto and Reg Hickcy, taking their courage in both hands, decided to make a hurried trip across from Australia to Auckland they little dreamed that their action would be the means of starting a mild boom in the N.Z. fistic world. The Auckland Boxing Association staged a bout with Pluto as one of the principals and, although there was a big wrestling match to follow a night or two later, they managed to draw a house in excess of £230. Since then the boxing game has had a definite revival in the North and with the advent of the negro boxer, Roy De Gans, in Invercargill, there have been record houses down South. The result of all this is that many prominent boxers are casting envious eyes on the prospects in New Zealand and before long the halcyon days of Clabby, Uren, Bell, Purdy, Murray and Heeney will be here again. All that was wanted was a little enthusiasm at the right time and it fell to a son of a veteran Australian boxer in the person of Cyril Pluto to set that enthusiasm alight at the psychological moment. New Zealand has produced some great boxers in Billy Murphy, the only man from N.Z. to hold a world's professional title, Dan Creedon, Tom Heeney, the Griffen Bros., and Bob Fitzsimmons—he came to New Zealand when only three years of age and learned his fistic trade at Timaru. The latter town by the way, is where Phar Lap, mighty champion of the turf, was bred and also where Jack Lovelock, hero of many a famous mile race, attended secondary schpol. Not a bad record for one town? And to cap it all, Pat Boot of the N.Z. Olympic team for the Olympic Games this year, also comes from Timaru.

The Games commence on August 1st, and by the time the next issue of the “Railways Magazine” is on sale New Zealand's representatives will be ready to carry the flag into the Olympic Stadium.

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Captain Evan A. Hunter, Secretary of the British Olympic Association, in a personal letter to the writer, mentions that “we (the British Olympic Association) are glad to have the New Zealand team housed with us. I do hope they will do well and I can assure you that Porritt and Lovelock will look after them excellently and do everything to encourage them and help them.” Captain Hunter was in New Zealand with the British and Finnish athletic team in 1935 and it is partly due to his work that the New Zealanders are attached to the British party.

Seven-a-side Rugby.

Seven-a-side Rugby is not taken with any great degree of seriousness in New Zealand. In fact in some districts the season is commenced with a seven-a-side tournament, it being overlooked that this particular brand of football is more strenuous than the regular fifteen-a-side game. But in England, seven-a-side Rugby plays a big part in the football season. Instituted eleven years ago by Middlesex, the annual tournament has been the result of more than #11,000 being raised for the funds of the Middlesex Hospital. This year the championship was won by the Sale Club, which included some of Wales’ best-known internationals.

The manner in which seven-a-side Rugby has taken on in England is surpassed by the growth of basketball, which threatens to be the most popular of ball games. Basketball was started by Dr. James Naismith who will be a guest of the German Olympic Committee to see the game played for the first time at the Olympic festival. Basketball was evolved as the result of a challenge following on a chance remark by Dr. Naismith that there was “nothing new under the sun, but everything new is simply a recombination of the factors of the already existing things.” He had been discussing for some time the necessity for a game for the winter season at his college and on making that remark was answered by “Well, Doctor, if that statement of yours is true, then you can invent a new game.” Taken up in this manner Dr. Naismith evolved the game which has now swept the globe. Basketball is not yet 45 years old but it has a greater following among New Zealand women than hockey and is gaining added followers every season. The story behind Dr. Naismith's evolution of the game would require too much space to recount, but he explains that it is a combination of Soccer, Rugby and polo.

Cigarettes led to an amusing breach of promise case at Adelaide recently. Juliet, it appeared, dotes on cigarettes, while Romeo loathes the sight—and smell—of them. So love's young dream became a nightmare, and quarrels were frequent. At last the young man bluntly told the girl that if she wouldn't give up smoking he'd have to give her up! Hence these tears! Amid roars of laughter some of the early love letters were read out in court. At last the. judge remarking that it seemed to be “a silly lovers’ quarrel,” advised the parties to retire and see if they couldn't “make it up.” They did! The fascination that cigarettes possess for some women—men. too!—is simply irresistible! Look at the run on Riverhead Gold and Desert Gold, the two leading cigarette blends, so fragrant and soothing! Both are “toasted.” That's why they're so good—and so harmless! There are also three toasted brands for the pipe, Cut Plug No. 10 (Bullshead), Cavendish, and Navy Cut No. 3 (Bulldog). No finer tobaccos are manufactured. But beware of imitations!^*