In less than a week's time, Auckland is to be invaded by a stalwart band of warriors (and warrioresses), robed in green and gold and armed with hockey sticks, golf clubs, badminton racquets, epees and sabres, and spiked shoes-cum-knuckledusters. Quarter may be asked, but never given, and wooden spoons will be avoided like the plague.

Victoria will have a full team in each of the 13 sports catered for by Winter Tournament. Nobody seems to expect this university to win the tournament shield after last year's debacle, but at least three sports have "Victoria" written all over them—fencing, hockey, indoor basketball—and if all concerned make a mighty effort the other universities may get the shock of their inanimate lives.

Men's Hockey

The Victoria team is expecting to win the men's hockey shield and it must be given every chance of so doing. It took the title in 1962, but dipped out last year through having top players in Australia with the touring NZU side. This year they're at full strength and probably over-confidence is their only cause for worry.

C. Wallis, D. Paget, and A. Botting are all near-certainties for the tournament rep. team; with C. Milne they all play for the University Firsts, currently on top of the Wellington senior competition. The other players are drawn from the senior reserve teams, one of them a Debating Club member and probably picked to argue with the referees.

The team is: C. Willis (capt.), D. Paget, A. Botting, C. Milne, C. Rose, W. Williams, G. Coates, N. Wood-hams, R. Deane, D. Gale, R. Hollis, I. Johnson, R. Grant.

Women's Indoor Basketball

The standard of women indoor basketballers at the university level is so weak that the sport was nearly banished from this year's tournament. Thus, although only three of the Victoria team play indoor basketball regularly, it may be placed In the tournament competition.

The side is led by Mary Hurst and coached by Mr. Landreth. As long as it follows the rule laid down by the coach of last year's Auckland team they should do well: "I don't care what you do, girls, as long as you get home before breakfast."

The team is: Mary Hurst, Judy Coveny, Gretel Wesney, Lorraine Le Petit, Margaret Locher, Pauline Brunton, Madeleine Freyberg.

Judo Team

Judo at Tournament is divided into three classes, open kyu, restricted kyu, and a special event for women that is being held for the first time. The open kyu is for judoka (those that practise judo to you) of all grades and the Victoria team just hasn't anybody of a sufficiently high grading to make any impression.

The restricted kyu is for judoka of green belt status and under, and this is where Victoria may obtain a few points. There is no combat in the women's event, for here competitors are judged on style and technique in performing some of the judo exercises, rather like gymnastics.

The women's team is: Sue Fichett, Beryl Whitehead, Pat Reesby, Helen Barber, Sue Foster.

Harriers

The tournament harrier race will be held around One Tree Hill, an area much favoured by Auckland's courting couples. No doubt other Victoria sportsmen will get to know their way around the place, perhaps even the arts festivians will be inspecting the course.

The lads from Lincoln are favoured for last place in this race, but they may have to fight off a strong challenge from Victoria. It's true, there are signs of improvement lately and it's also true that they'll have to run badly to be as far back as last year.

The team is: Jim Callaghan, John Barnett, Malcolm Buchanan, Mike Casey, Roger Clark, John Meade, Geoff Rashbrooke, Bruce Sowry.

Golfing

Golf has the reputation of being an expensive game and students of always being broke, particularly Victoria students. It comes as a surprise, then, to learn that the Golf Club is sending a strong team up to tournament and appear to have a good chance of winning.

Selection trials for the side are still being held. None of the ten players from whom the team of four will be picked has a handicap of higher than six, while top-ranked P. Rankin is playing off one. We trust that the absence of the usual 50-mile-an-hour breezes on the course will not unduly distress the Victoria men.

Drinking Horn

In reply to a request for information, local drinkers sent in a beer-stained note written in an illegible scrawl. It is easy to deduce from this that the team is in full training, and great things can be expected from them at tournament—if they arrive.

Table-tennis

Victoria would appear to have something approaching a strong table tennis team. Captain is Barry Cross, ranked fifth in Wellington; number two is Harrison Waterhouse, a first-year student plaving well in interclub; third man Brian Neale was runner-up at the last tournament and number two for the NZU team; and Robert Armstrong, last year's leader and number three for the NZU, is only fourth player for the side.

The women's team of Maeve O'Flvnn and Elizabeth Williams, both experienced tournament players, should hold their own against the other females. It is true that the standard will be higher this year because of the mooted Australian tour next May, but the Victoria set should match the efforts of the sister universities.

The teams: Men, Barry Cross, Harrison Waterhouse, Brian Neale, Bob Armstrong. Women, Maeve O'Flynn, Elizabeth Williams.

Squash

This year's squash team is a bit flat on account of several top players being unavailable. Even so, those going are among the club's best. Brian Christie has represented the university on three previous occasions, and Bob Clarke and Ian Grant have one tournament each under their belts.

The future of the club is now assured by the grant recently made by the Students Association. The team is certain to play better at tournament with this weight off its shoulders.

The team is: Brian Christie, Robert Clarke, Ian Grant.

Skiing

Tournament skiing is being held over on the Mainland this year, at Arthur's Pass. Victoria skiers make up in enthusiasm for what they lack in ability and last year took second place by sheer weight of numbers. Nobody is making any rash prophecies, but they hope to do as well as they did last year at least.

Women's Hockey

Women's hockey would appear to be in a rather chaotic state. At present nobody seems quite sure just who is eligible for the tournament team, This kind of dithering is of no use to team unity. Oh well, the best of luck to them if a team does finally get to Auckland; there must be some talent around for the club to have taken second place in 1963.

Soccer

Winding up third at last year's tournament, Victoria's representatives were generally considered the best ball-players, but gave away too much weight to their opponents. This year they've been filling up on spinach and yoghourt, and have had to be restrained from challenging the All Blacks.

After tournament, an NZU team will be touring the Auckland province and Judd Heywood. Jeff Allison and Chris Ryan, all of Victoria, can be regarded as certainties for this side if they play as well as last year. Rod Bustard, Max Bognuda and Graham Semple all have a good chance of going on tour as well. So don't be surprised if the footballers add eight points to the university total.

The team is: Heywood, Allison, Ryan, Bustard. Bognuda. Semple, Arens, Cooper. Coster, Gower, Kerr. Murchison, Reddish, Taylor, Cahill, Langron.

Fencing

Victoria fencers have a really fantastic tournament record. In 13 years they have finished out of first place only once—repeat, only once. The men's team is particularly strong this year and all its members have been placed in Wellington provincial tourneys.

Unfortunately the women are lacking the superiority of the male swordsmen, but even so will probably finish well up.

The teams: Men, David Hurley, Zoltan Apathy. Tony Black. Doug Gibbs, Chris Lloyd, David Lind-Mitchell. Women, Sally Markham, Kitty Hilton. Helen Schwarz, Elizabeth Stanford.

Badminton

It's interesting to see the improvement of the Badminton Club at tournament since the opening of the new gymnasium in 1961. Fourth in 1961, third in 1962 and second last year; by a process of extrapolation it seems reasonable to expect an easy win for the side in Auckland. They could win at that, but it won't be an easy win.

Victoria's top player, Lim Ee Chiat. looks like being the NZU top player. The man who defeated him for the honour last year, Lee Tuck Chew, of Otago, has withdrawn from Otago's team and thus Lim should have a fairly easy time of it.

The club's Achilles' heel would appear to be the women's section, but leader Jane Mowat was an NZU rep. last year, so things can't be too bad.

The teams: Men, Lim Ee Chiat, Seow Bin Gay, Mohd Nor, Paul Lee, Bill Mansfield. Barry Rees. Women. Jane Mowat. Sue Smith. Alison Park, Ana Gray, Pamela Sharp.

Men's Indoor Basketball

It is to be hoped that the men's indoor basketball squad moves with more speed and precision on the court than their selector does in picking his team. Victoria won the title last year by the skin of its teeth, and are really going to have to get with it to beat Auckland on their home ground—or rather, in their home stadium.

That is not to say they don't have the ability. Although the composition of the team is not known, at least a couple of the club's Wellington representatives will be in the side, and Wellington's basketballers are the country's best.