Competing in the second annual contest for the N.Z.U. Cross Country Championship, held this year at Christchurch, Victoria was, like last year, placed second to Otago, and by the same margin of 3 points. On this occasion, however, A. G. Bagnall, who finished a close second to W. A. Stewart, in 1934, defeated the Otago man by 300 yards. Battling against conditions-rain, hail, snow and mud underfoot-which rivalled the Lyall Bay southerly of last year. Bagnall led almost all the way, with Stewart in second position. The heavy going and particularly the 30 fences of the Cashmere course, handicapped Stewart, who lost more grounds on the hills near the finish, but Bagnall ran stubbornly and made a good time—39m. 27s.—in face of such conditions. Meanwhile, the team men were fighting for position. Robinson, of Otago, ran third, Francis (A.U.C.) fourth, and O'Connor (V.U.C.) fifth. The next V.U.C. men were Laing (seventh),-a good performance-and Cairns, eleventh. D. A. Viggers (V.U.C.), who finished sixteenth, was the first individualist home. With Smight in sixth place and Borrie, tenth, the Otago team emerged victors with 21 points to Victoria's 24: Canterbury (47 points) were third; Auckland (56) fourth. The winners were undoubtedly the superior team, their greater age and experience favouring them in a contest of sheer endurance.

The lighter younger men in the tail of the V.U.C. team encountered unaccustomed conditions in the five miles of flat with many fences, the "unjumpable water jump," and severe weather. They struggled through as only fit men could. The lesson for Victoria is to concentrate now on building up team work; the material is there, and with a trainer as keen as G. C. Sherwood there is no reason why a strong combination should not be built up.

After the race Canterbury provided afternoon tea, and in the evening runners thawed out at dinner at the "Melody Lane," when the Carmalt-Jones Cup (for competition between Canterbury and Otago), and A. G. Bagnall received the medal for the individual championship. Dinner and the toasts over, A.U.C. were farewelled at the station, and the rest turned to the pictures, followed by the Rowing Club ball. Canterbury were liberal in their hospitality throughout. On Sunday the teams were taken for a motor drive over the hill to Lyttelton and afternoon tea at Sumner. More tea was provided by the trainer, Mr. G. C. Sherwood, at Ballantyne's, on Monday, the team returning to Wellington that night. The team consisted of A. G. Bagnall, M. O'Connor, W. B. Lang, D. Cairns, P. Porter, A. Horsley; emergencies, D. Viggers, R. cooper. Mr. G. C. Sherwood, club trainer, and N. T. Clare, accompanied them.