Hockey

After two practices had been held at Karori Park, it was possible to make a tentative selection for the six teams to be entered for the local competitions. Of the seventy-odd men available many are Freshers or Returned Servicemen, and it will be impossible to allocate them to final team positions until the competitions have been in progress for some time. The Committee has been looking for a non-playing coach—but so far without success. To make up for this deficiency it intends to make senior players responsible for the lower grade teams which certainly have dire need of coaching.

On Saturday, 26th, the season opened. The results—Five losses and a win by default—were largely due to a lack of understanding between players who had possibly never seen each other before, let alone played together.

1st Grade.—This lack of combination was evident in the seniors' first game which was lost 1-3 to Karori. Against the formidable halves and forwards fielded by Karori, only two regular members of last year's Varsity seniors were available. Despite this handicap, the team put up a staunch light and did remarkably well against such opponents. In goal Froome was outstanding—his reliability and hard kicking were largely responsible in keeping Karori's tally so low. Buxton and Johnstone, last year's tournament combination, did everything that was asked of them. Stairmand, O'Connor and Persson, all newcomers to VUC hockey, were by no means overawed by, the occasion and on Saturday's form they should continue to fill the half-line billets throughout the season. With the exception of Tilley on the left wing, the forwards showed little inclination towards the fast and constructive play that is an essential for senior competition. The spoiling tactics adopted by their opponents and condoned by the referee were obviously bewildering to those who had learned their hockey in the comparative calm of the lower grades.

2nd tirade.—Lost 4-8 against Upper Hutt Warriors. Again a hitherto untried combination was put into the field against a team that had changed little since last season and lack of combination again lost the day. Kiddle and Sutherland of last year's Third Grade played solid hockey which the forwards were unable to turn to account on the day, although they give promise of forming a very strong line in future games. Harry Gajadhar, Horner and Orman, showed that they could still make individual penetrations even though effective interpassing was sadly lacking.

3rd Grade A.—v. Tech. Old Boys, lost 1-2. Handicapped by forwards playing out of position this team was unable to press home the many good scoring movements that were initiated by a fine set of halves.

3rd Grade B.—v. Trentham Army, won by default.

3rd Grade C.—v. Island Bay, lost 3-5. Little appreciation of positional play was the deciding factor in this loss. Ian Carron was prominent as centre-forward, making some penetrating runs but lacking the support to pull them off.

4th Grade.—v. Tech. Old Boys, lost 1-8. With only nine men playing, there could be but one result. Players must advise the club captain if they are unavailable.

Rugby

After a couple of Saturdays' practice, the rugby club began its participation in the Wellington Rugby Union's competition on Saturday, April 26, recording on that day 3 wins and 4 losses, the latter all by substantial margins; no very auspicious start, certainly, but with the progress of the season, and the consequent increase in fitness, combination and team-work, this record should be substantially improved.

At present training facilities are very limited. The power shortage makes the use of the club's floodlights on Kelburn Park impossible, and Extrav. rehearsals monopolise the Gym. The club therefore expects all its members to do as much training as possible on their own, and to attend at Weir House weekly for scrum practice, and team talk. Watch the notice board for details of time, date and place of practices, and remember that attendances at practices is the best guarantee of a game on Saturday.

Results of last Saturday's games are as follows:

Senior A lost to Onslow 6-18. They were beaten by a fitter team, though it remains to be seen whether Onslow can maintain their freshness and vigour throughout the season.

Senior B lost to Taita 3-22. There is good material here and it should not be long before this team does itself justice.

Junior A beat Athletic 15-6. The performance of this team was distinctly encouraging. The forwards worked well and gave their backs a feast of the ball, and it was only early season lack of practice that prevented a win by a much larger margin.

Junior B lost to Oriental 6-22 after leading 6-3 at half time. Once again lack of fitness took its toll, though the team showed signs of developing into something good.

Third A beat Upper Hutt 11-3. If one can judge by keenness and by last Saturday's performance this team should finish the season in the upper part of the competition. Saturday's effort was a very fine one.

Third B beat Petone 8-3. This team, like Third A, composed mainly of Freshers, played very well to defeat the redoubtable Petone XV. on their home ground. Keenness has been a feature of this team also, and we expect to find it near the top of the ladder every week.

Third C lost to Berhampore 3-26. It was most unfortunate, to say the least, that only nine of those whose names appeared on the board turned up for this game. Some, we know, were unable to play, but many did not notify anyone of their inability to turn out.

If you cannot, for any reason, turn out on any particular Saturday, please notify either your coach or Cathol MacLeod, Teams' Officer, Phone 46-599.

Table Tennis

1947 should prove a record year for the Table Tennis Club. Sufficient was seen of the wealth of new players at the opening at the Star Boating Club last Monday (there was an attendance of over forty) to indicate that Varsity should be very much on the map in Wellington table tennis from now on.

It is proposed to enter eight teams in the Wellington Association competitions, i.e., one in each grade from "A" to "H," and we also have strong hopes of wresting the Table Tennis Shield from Auckland at the Winter Tournament in August.

An innovation In Wellington table tennis this year is the institution of an "H" grade. This grade will be confined to players who have not played inter-club table tennis in the past. So if any freshers are interested in table tennis but have yet to play competitively this is the opportunity to begin. The first month will be of necessity devoted to the classification of teams, but later (when the club resumes tenancy of the Gym.), "A" and "B" grade players will be available to coach new players.

Any information concerning the club will be answered any time during the day by the Secretary, A. W. Graham (Tel. 42-995) or the Club Captain, K. Wood (Tel. 44-107).

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Regrade done Georges, Anyelique!
Autrefois tant melancolique!
II a du panache, et
Beaucoup de cachet:
II fait son debut dans le Spike.