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Salient. The Newspaper of Victoria University College. Vol. 20, No. 3. April 12, 1956

VUC disappoints in Tournament — Wooden spoon is becoming a habit

page 4

VUC disappoints in Tournament

Wooden spoon is becoming a habit

VUC played the role of perfect host to the NZU Easter Tournament, keeping for itself only the wooden spoon. Apart from sharing first place in the tennis, Victoria performed dismally, compiling a points total less than a third of those of Otago, the winning team, and Canterbury, runners-up.

Small consolation for winning the Spoon for the twelfth time in eighteen years was VUC's Drinking Horn victory. However, there are other things besides winning, and it was a successful tournament. Our congratulations to Otago, Tournament Shield winners. And to Wellington's weather, specially turned on for the occasion—Wellington isn't always windy after all.

Basketball

The somewhat inexperienced Victoria women's basketball team, although maintaining a fair standard of play throughout the tournament, were unable to win a game against teams which were more seasoned and had had more match play experience, thus enabling them to reach a better combination and understanding. The VUC girls were by no means disgraced, and in point of fact they did better than a VUC team has done at tournament for many years. Otago were undefeated to win the champion-shins, with Canterbury runners up and Auckland in third place.

Boxing

Victoria, winners last year of the NZU Boxing Shield, did not compete with much success in this year's contest. In fact they failed to win a weight. Only five VUC boxers entered the ring, and of these, three were eliminated in the preliminary fights. The winners of the shield were Auckland, who won four weights, with Otago and Canterbury each winning two.

In the final of the featherweight section, Pat Johnston (Victoria) took a thrashing from P. Hohepa (Auckland), the latter winning on a t.k.o. Johnston had no answer for the Aucklanders' constant attack and the fight was robbed of any interest which it might have held.

Reigning NZU champion, Doug Law (Victoria), was climinated by M. B. Hill (Auckland) in a preliminary contest in the lightweight division. Hill went on to win the title and also the award for the most scientific boxer of the tournament. Law-was a fighter hopelessly out of form, and had lost that speed in the ring which won him the title at Auckland last year. Hill had little trouble in keeping him on the defensive and went on to an easy victory.

Mike Webber (Victoria) was a little unlucky in his preliminary fight in the light welterweight section. His opponent opened a cut over his eye in the first round and the referee, Mr. Phin Stone, was forced to stop what might otherwise have been an extremely close and interesting tussle. This was an unfortunate happening which unlerlined the lesson seen in the Barry Brown-Pran Mikus fight—that a fighter should not enter the ring unless he is absolutely in the peak of physical condition and in no danger of what could develop into a permanent injury. Mr. Stone is to be congratulated from his prompt action in this regard.

Welterweight Brendon Scully (Victoria) was out of his class against a boxer of the calibre of Auckland's D. Tee and was defeated on a t.k.o. in the first round by the northerner who last year won his weight, the award for the most scientific boxer and an NZU Blue. Tee wont on to win his weight, defeating his finals opponent without much difficulty.

Bob Stevenson (Victoria) put up an outstanding fight against the redoubtable Ian McDougall (Canterbury) in the final of the middleweight division, losing on a very close points decision. Stevenson was by far the outstanding local boxer and his performance against McDougall was a very creditable one indeed.

Swimming

The overall standard in this year's NZU Swimming Carnival was on a par with that in previous years. Two NZU records were broken during the course of the meeting, by G. Leach (Auckland) in the 100yds. men's butterfly and Miss B. Ross (Otago) is the women's medley. The NZU Swimming Shield was won by Otago, with Auckland second and Canterbury in third place.

J. Hamilton of Victoria was the outstanding men's competitor, annexing two titles, namely the 100 and 220. His outstanding performances in these two events won him the award of his second NZU Blue for swimming.

The other Victoria competitors did not compete with any great success, and it was left to the water polo team to restore Victoria's prestige at the Tournament. The team was highly successful and won the NZU water polo championships. The side defeated Otago 8-1, Auckland 5-1 and drew with Canterbury 1-1. Outstanding players for VUC were B. Trotter and T. Verhoeven, [unclear: a] of whom weir selected to play for New Zealand Universities against a Wellington side. T. Verhoeven was perhaps the outstanding water polo player at the tournament and his goal-keeping in the NZU game was impeccable.

Cricket

With the arrival of the Auckland team in Wellington on the Wednesday morning before Easter, the 1956 NZU Cricket Tournament got under way at Kelburn Park. Victoria, led by Jim Thomson met Auckland, captained by Don Hunt, in the North Island colleges game. Hunt won the toss for AUC and elected to bat on an easy wicket. Shortly after lunch, AUC were all out for 173, Hunt compiling a very attractive 58. Bowling for the home team, John Martin maintained a good length and captured 4 wickets at a cost of 37 runs. Colin Campbell, fiery West Indian fast bowled from Massey, took 3 for 53.

Victoria compiled 206 in their first innings, thanks largely to a sterling knock of 81 by Pete Carver, of golfing fame. Carver attacked the bowling with great determination and ably supported by skipper Thomson (31), gave VUC a first innings lead of 33 runs. When Auckland opened their second innings it was obvious they intended to go for the runs and they knocked up 211 for the loss of 8 wickets in quick time, at which stage Hunt declared, leaving Victoria requiring 179 runs for an outright win. Batting for AUC, Morris made 58 and McElroy 57.

Victoria, however, were content to look after their first innings lead, and play finished with VUC 3 wickets down for 66 (Carver 30), and the result was a win for Victoria by 33 run on the first innings.

At Christchurch, in the South Island colleges match, Otago beat Canterbury outright in a low scoring game. The outstanding feature of this match was J. B. Park's 13 wickets for CUC at a relatively low cost.

Over the Easter period, the main game at Kelburn was between the two winners, Victoria and Otago. Otago, led by Plunket Shield rep. Gren Alabaster, batted first and made 192, G. Buist scoring all round the wicket for his 76 runs. Jim-Thomson captured 5 wickets for 64, and Morrie McDonald of Massey 4 for 39. Victoria in their "first innings could only muster 118 (Lance 28, Gibson 28). The outstanding bowler for Otago was R. Simons who took 7 for 33 in a sustained spell of extremely accurate bowling.

Otago, batting in their second knock, scored 159 (Harding 40). McDonald again bowled well for VUC, taking 5 for 70. Victoria, requiring 224 for victory, were all out in their second innings for 168. Thomson scored 49, Pope 42 and Carver 31. The result was a win for Otago by 65 runs.

On the adjoining wicket, in the losers' match, Canterbury beat Auckland outright. Features of this game were Dineen's century (101) and Leggatt's 92 for CUC and Park's further 13 wickets for CUC bringing his total bag for the tournament to 26, an outstanding bowling performance.

Final points for the NZU Cricket Shield were Otago 6, Canterbury 3, Victoria 2, and Auckland 0.

The NZU team to play Wellington was chosen by Mr. Eric Tindall, well-known Wellington sporting personality, and comprised: G. D. Alabaster, R. Simons and J. Kent (Otago), I. Ax ford, B. Dineen and J. B. Park (Canterbury). J. C. Thomson. H. R. Carver and J. Gibson (Victoria). and D. Hunt and M. McElroy (Auckland).

Rowing

Canterbury made a clean sweep in the Tournament Rowing Regatta held on the Korokoro course off the Petone foreshore, winning all four events contested. Otago took second place in the eights and fours, while Victoria were runners up in the double sculls race. Points for the NZU Rowing Shield were Canterbury 9, Otago 4, Victoria ½ and Auckland 0.

In the main event on the programme, the eights race, the crack Canterbury' crew, all Olympic trialists, soon established a substantial lead and held it throughout the race to win by four lengths from Otago, with Auckland one and a half lengths away in third place. The CUC crew rowed with great confidence and combination and were never in danger of losing the race. Otago and Auckland maintained a steady rate of stroking and fought out the minor placings with great determination. Victoria got away to a bad start and were unable to make up the lost ground.

In the fours race, it was much the same story with the superior CUC crew showing the way to Otago with Canterbury No. 2 in third place. The Canterbury crew in the double sculls, R. Moginie and P. Spooner, proved superior scullers to the rest of the field and won by a substantial margin from Victoria's Wally Leader and Mike Winter.

In the first women's rowing event to be staged at an NZU regatta, the experienced Canterbury crew emulated the outstanding performance of their men's competitors and won an interesting race from Auckland, with the young and somewhat inexperienced Victoria crew in third place.

On Saturday night the VUC Rowing Club staged a highly successful rigger-string and dance at the Thistle Hall which soon showed an alarming resemblance to the Korokoro course. This, however, did make the re-rows all the more authentic.

Shooting

Winning two of the shooting matches, the Victoria reflemen performed very creditably in the NZU Shooting tournament held at the Collin's Range, Trentham. I. V. Newton shot particularly well, finishing third in the individual competition and winning himself an NZU Shoot-Blue. Auckland were the winners of the Haslam Shield for inter-university competition with Victoria second.

The outstanding rifleman at the meeting was Roy Larsen, winner of this year's Services' Fifty and one of the best shots in the country, who won the NZU individual shooting, championship. He headed a strong Auckland team which carried off the top honours for 1956.

Tournament Shield photo

"This is becoming a bit of a habit," said Graham Kerr, OU delegate, receiving the Tournament Shield on behalf of the Otago team at the Tournament Ball