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Salient. An Organ of Student Opinion at Victoria College, Wellington, N.Z. Vol. 6, No. 11 August 11, 1943

Sport

page 4

Sport

Cherchez la femme

The approaching holidays will once again present Varsity sports clubs with their old problem—how to maintain all their teams when so many students have dashed to the outer darkness with nostalgic bleats. Probably it will mean defaulting a game or two with some of the lower grade teams, but it is to be hoped that all senior teams will continue without being greatly weakened. Especially is it to be hoped in the ease of the men's hockey senior team, for this team has an excellent chance of winning the local senior championship, an honour which Varsity has missed for many a long year.

The energetic tramping club has arranged a ten-day trip to Arthur's Pass during the holidays. They say the main attraction is to be the ski-ing, which is no doubt true, but it does seem an outlandish way of spelling it. They would appear to have worthy rivals in the harrier club. The more conscientious younger members of the party are to be seen hanging round the staff common room and similar ill-famed dives armed with little notebooks. Apparently they are building up the extensive repertoire of risque jokes and what might be termed "free verse" (especially limericks) so necessary on these expeditions.—A. O.B.

Tally-Ho!

To return the hospitality so often extended to us by other harrier clubs, Varsity invited the Hutt Valley and Combined Church Clubs to run with us from V.U.C. A large number of runners in assorted singlets left the gymnasium on the long climb up to Tinakori Hill. In spite of delays caused by dental nurses, all the fast pack managed to reach the top of Orangi-Kaupapa Roard just in time to see the slim forms of a rival pack ahead. At last we had encountered the women's harrier club! The running became very spirited until we caught them up, and Dickie was even provoked to pass some remark about the fox running third. Our curiosity satisfied, and with minds set on higher thoughts (unfortunate expression) we were soon on our way again and after a short detour through Karori returned to the gym. Thirsts and hungers were satisfied by a plain but no doubt wholesome afternoon tea, followed by a few words of welcome by the club captain.

In almost two weeks' time the annual inter-varsity harrier tournament for the Dixon Trophy will be held in Wellington. Teams representing the four colleges will compete over the 6½ mile course at Silverstream. Victoria has reasonable hopes of winning the Shield, which Otago so narrowly beat us for in 1941. We will have a strong team, with talent such as Rowberry, McDowell, de la Mare, Daniell and others, certainly possess. After the race the visitors will be entertained at a dinner, which, since no hotels are willing to provide it, will be catered for by the cafeteria. A dance to follow the dinner is at present being arranged.

Billets Wanted

The problem of accommodation for the visitors is proving rather difficult and we would like to make an appeal to all students to help. Anyone willing to take a guest for Friday 20th, Saturday 21st and Sunday 22nd should contact Ian McDowell, or sign the list on the notice board.

Local Boys Make Good

The Varsity junior team has been playing good football on occasion, and already has a number of wins to its credit.

Two recent matches have produced some especially good football, and the team has been left with one win and one loss.

The game against Petone on 24th July has been immortalised by the "Sports Post" photographer, who was enterprising enough to secure a snap of the play, which was subsequently published on the front page of July 31st's "Sports Post."

Orr played an outstanding game in this match, with Smith and Kurto-vich backing him up well. Twaddle at full-back played his best game, his tackling and line-kicking being very good. Better use might have been made of the back line. Final score: Varsity 8, Petone 3.

Next Saturday the team Journeyed to Upper Hutt to meet the unconquered. They gave the Upper Hutt supporters many anxious moments, especially when they evened the score, 5-5.

Fast and open play resulted in Varsity's only try—Richmond cutting out his man and handing on ta Twaddle, who forced his way over. Te Punga converted with an excellent kick. After this, however, Hutt's superior weight and ability to get away with minor infringements told, and three runs by their brilliant centre-threequarter resulted in as many tries.

The new discovery, R. E. Pottinger, led the forwards well, and Benseman and MacLennan performed well in the tight. The latter appears particularly fond of tight play. MacLennan also provided one of the highlights of the Journey out, and his thrilling dash for a ticket at Petone was watched with great interest.

No article on the team would be complete without a mention of the excellent captaincy of Buck Ryder, who is the guiding hand of the team on the field. Final score: Upper Hutt 23, Varsity 5.

Te Aute.—A team from the Junior and third grade teams will be travelling to Te Aute on 27th August. Full particulars may be obtained from coaches Caird and King.

Men's Hockey

The Varsity A-Fort Dorset match was the big game of the season for the men's hockey club. It had been generally held by hockey critics that the Dorset team would defeat University, which they very nearly did. The University eleven played the best game to date. Every member of the team was on top of his form and they were called on to victory by a haka party from the lower teams.

Dorset opened the attacking right at the start. Diprose, the Dorset centre-forward, scored after about four minutes' play. This was a bad start for a game on which the championship depended. At the bully-off Diprose once again beat Ivor Ting for the ball and the speedy Dorset forwards carried the ball to the Varsity circle, where a University back obstructed and Dorset were awarded a penalty corner. Michael Benge stopped the ball on his pads only to have the rebound snapped up by the inrushing forwards and shot into the net, making the score 2 nil after about seven minutes' play. Things were looking decidedly black.

George Ray opened the University score from a scuffle and this was followed immediately by two goals from Ivor Ting from passes by John Nichols. The score now was University 3, Dorset 2, and remained the same up till half-time.

After ten minutes of the second half Diprose netted a very fine goal, making the score 3 all. Ivor Ting shortly afterwards missed an open goal. Ting played a very fine game but, like all the other players, appeared to be too excited. The play during the second half was fairly even and extremely fast. Graham Speight at centre-half played a very fine game, but the climax of the match was when George Ray at left inside scored the winning goal. He cut between the two defending full backs and ran in at the goal. The goalkeeper ran out, whereupon Ray changed his direction and put the ball behind the goalkeeper, who was caught right out of position. This made the score 4-3. The game ended about five minutes later.

The University A team is now first equal with the Dorset team in the championship, but has two matches in hand.

(Last Saturday University A defeated Karori by four goals to two, but as Dorset walloped Training College 12-0 the championship position is unchanged.—Ed.)

Achievement!

Commencing in foul but finishing in fine weather, seven stalwarts successfully crossed from Wairongomai to Silverstream two week-ends back, and thus avenged the calamitous defeat suffered three years ago.

On Saturday, after two hours of flat bush track and wading in Icy water, accompanied by an intermittent drizzle, Wairongomai Forks is reached. Tents pop up and a cheerful fire warms tingling fingers while the billy bolls. Scrambling up the south branch of the stream fills in the rest of the afternoon, and the evening discussion is most intellectual—early to bed with stars shining in the sky.

At 5.20 a.m. the air is chill, but, thank God, there is no rain. The day is young as we commence to toil up the ridge to Orongorongo. Gradually, as the height increases, so does the cold—everything is wet and moss-covered—patches of snow appear, covering logs and branches. Orongorongo at last—the mist envelops us. A pause before plunging down again into more wet bush.

Two hours later the cloud has disappeared, the sun shines forth, warming benumbed fingers and feet. Lunch is the tale of a primus which would not go, and an appetising billy-mixture from tins of many different labels.

Then followed two hours of road walking—I for one have sore feet as a result.

Women's Hockey Club

Weaknesses in the senior team were shown up strikingly in its last match against T.O.G. In the forwards the worst fault was a tendency to pass practically straight across the field instead of gaining ground by forward hits. Understanding among the backs was not much in evidence. The full backs did not play far enough up the field so that if the halves were drawn out of position the opposing forwards had a clear run in front of them. This was partly due to a change over in positions owing to the absence of one of the usual players.

The Juniors were unfortunate in being two short, which probably accounted for their losing 2-0 to Wellington Tech. The forward line in particular was affected so that the game was mainly defensive in the first spell. In the second half the ball was in Tech.'s territory most of the time and our team was unlucky not to score.

The intermediate won its last match by default, only 6 of St. Joseph's turning up.

T. C. Tournament

  • Saturday, 14th.—Welcome Social.
  • Monday, 16th.—Debate and Drama Contests.
  • Tuesday, 17th.—Tournament Ball. Football in afternoon.