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Salient. Victoria University of Wellington Students' Newspaper. Volume 32, No. 16. July 16, 1969

Sport with Ian Stockwell:

Sport with Ian Stockwell:

Varsity league team playing well

The way the Victoria University rugby league team has been playing recently could ensure it a place in the premier grade next year.

Currently, the team is leading the senior A grade after successfully coming through the preliminary round, and in the main round has to date remained unbeaten.

In the preliminary round, Varsity made a shaky start winning only two matches and losing three. However, in the all-important main round, the team has come right and has so far won all of its matches, beating Wainui 20-17, Marist 39-13 and Upper Hutt 17-16.

The game against Upper Hutt was a hard and closely fought match, with Varsity being perhaps a trifle lucky to win.

But the players are very keen and confident that they can continue their winning way, and that Varsity will be one of the two teams which will be promoted into the premier grade at the end of the season.

Perhaps the real test as to how well Varsity will do in the competition, and possibly how well it would fare in the Premier grade, will come when the team plays St. George, which was demoted from the Premier grade after the preliminary round.

St. George is a tough team with a large pack of forwards, using it to crash through for its tries.

If the lighter Varsity forwards can contain these tactics and ensure that its fast backs gel sufficient ball. St. George should be beaten and Varsity will thus show that it could hold its own among the lop teams in Wellington.

Already several players have gained higher honours.

Trevor Smith and Kelvin Smith are both in the representative squad, and John Haynes has played for New Zealand Universities.

Also there is Wayne Nicholls, who played for Wellington last year and George Rasmussen, who has played for Universities.

Unfortunately both of these players have been out of action for most of the season because of injuries.

Like most university teams, Victoria's strength lies in a set of fast and incisive backs, supported by mobile and bustling forwards.

The two wings Trevor Smith and Robby Robertson have been outstanding, and between them have scored the majority of the team's tries.

Both are fast—with Smith able to crash through wouldbe tacklers, and Robertson having a devastating side step.

Both the centres Kelvin Smith and Evan Nathan are also among the lop players in the team, having the ability to run their wings into position.

Kelvin Smith is the iron man of the backline, able to take the hardest of crash tackles and still come up for more.

Fullback Graham MacBride is safe and has a booming kick, while stand-oil half John Fugler has been very sound.

Among the forwards, team captain John Haynes has been playing well, using his experience to good affect in selling up moves for his backs.

Loose forward John Dixon covers well, while hooker Ron Burbury has ensured that his backs get plenty of ball, ably supported by his two props Bill Powell and Jeff Gamlin.

But one aspect in which the forwards will have to improve in is tackling. In league tackling can make or break a team and the forwards will have to make an improvement here, especially as they play against teams who may have men of 16 or 17 stone.

Another highlight of the season will be the Winter Tournament at Dunedin.

The competition here will be no less tough, as university league teams in other centres have all been playing with outstanding success this season.

The Auckland team this year made the top grade, which is no mean feat considering the high standard and lough nature of Auckland's premier grade.

The Dunedin team is easily leading the local premier grade, while in Christchurch, the Varsity team is currently unbeaten in the senior B grade.

Unfortunately several players will not be able to make the trip, and the club has thus decided that it will be willing to take to Dunedin some people who have not yet played league and who would like to try it out.

Anyone interested here should phone Andy Strange at 838-882.

S. Africa Forum

A National forum on "Apartheid and Sports Relations with South Africa" and "Broadcasting and Human Rights" will be held by the Standing Committee on Human Rights at Auckland University on Saturday. September 6.

Written submissions are invited from organisations and individuals and will be received at P.O. Box 5925 Auckland up to August 15.

The first session will deal with such questions as the policies of New Zealand sports bodies in sending white and racially mixed teams to South Africa, the effect of these visits on race relations there. All Black tours, segregated audiences, politics and sport, sport and the economics of apartheid and the possible expulsion from international associations of national sports bodies which practise racial discrimination.

The evening session will review the role of broadcasting in a democratic society, competition between public and private stations, cultural coverage, the expression of minority opinion in broadcasting, greater independence for the NZBC, university programmes, school television and proposals for a National Broadcasting Council representing management, staff and public.

A forum report will be published at a later date.

Swords Club shows strength

Varsity Swords once again showed its apparently indomitable strength when its A teams won all their matches in the Wellington provincial learns tournament held recently.

While some clubs could not even field one team, Victoria entered two teams in every weapon and came first and second in every event.

Though this was to some extent due to the lack of serious competition, a similar result would have probably eventuated anyway.

With only half the season gone Varsity fencers have already had considerable success. This is not really surprising as the club is well represented at all levels of competition.

Members include the 1968 national foil champion. George Stratigopoulos about ten fencers of provincial standard, and numerous intermediate and junior fencers.

The first major event this season was the tour by an Australian national team. In the Wellington provincial match four Varsity fencers, G. Firth, V. McLean, Strati and Z. Apathy, were selected and all helped in the province's victory, Later Strati performed well in the Australia-New Zealand match to again ensure Australia's defeat.

The next important tournament was the North Island Open championships at New Plymouth.

Ten fencers from Victoria entered but only five made the finals. The best placing was that of Strati who came third in the sabre.

It was a great disappointment that none of our women managed to get into their final.

This could have been because some of our fencers had to travel to New Plymouth on the morning of the tournament.

The Swords Club has had an eventful season so far in other ways. Operations were commenced this year with a display and two demonstrations which were as good an excuse as any for a little bloodletting in the form of some bare-backed sabre. This attracted quite a few students to come along to see what fencing is all about. Social life is as enjoyable as ever.

The club is well represented in other aspects of fencing. Many members run or help run some of the secondary school clubs in the Wellington area.

Four of the nine committee members make up two-thirds of the provincial council.

The Club's healthy stale makes it likely that its teams will again win the Winter Tournament fencing.

But it is a pity that while some of our top fencers may have a chance to represent New Zealand at the 1970 Commonwealth Games, the 1969 nationals will be held during exams and may preclude potential university representatives from attending.

From the GYM

Intramural Basketball

Hargtaugh won the intramural basketball knockout competion when it beat Nelson-Staff 42-26 in a fast though sometimes rough game.

Nelson-Staff tried to play a tight game, but some loose passing allowed Hargtaugh to break through and score.

The fast breaking of the Hargtaugh team was a feature of the game. Leading scorers for Haughtaugh were J. Somsai (16) and K. Shirley (14). G Peate scored 14 for Nelson-Staff.

Hargtaugh 42, Nelson-Sufi 26: Economics 40, Rudman 14; All Stars 58, Weir 8; Helen Lowry 50, Chemistry 28.

Ladder Positions: Hargtaugh 1, Nelson-Staff 2, All Stars 3, E.L.I. 4, Weir 5, Economic 6, Rudman 7, Chemistry 8, Hutt High 9, Helen Lowry 10.

Thursday's basketball draw: 12.00 E.L.I. All Stars; 12.30 Hargtaugh-Economics; 1.00 Helen Lowry-Nelson-Staff; 1.30 Hutt High-Chemistry.

Soccer Report

University beat Miramar Rangers 3-1 in windy conditions at Kelburn Park.

This was the University side's best performance of the season. All players gave their utmost, and the win was just reward for much honest endeavour.

University had most of the play during the first half, and it was somewhat against the run of play when Miramar Rangers opened the scoring after 15 minutes.

University drew level in the 18th minute, when John Mehl, following up, crashed the ball into the net after the Rangers 'keeper dropped the ball.

University continued to do most of the attacking, and went into the lead after 40 minutes when John Mehl scored his second goal.

After 44 minutes the University side had a chance of going into a 3-1 lead when it was awarded a penally; however this chance was missed when the Rangers goalkeeper saved John Gallagher's kick.

In the second half, though Miramar Rangers had its chances. University remained on top, and midway through the half John Gallagher made amends for his missed penalty when he scored the third goal for Varsity.

The second team had a comfortable 5-2 win over Island Bay United in a wind dominated game it Wakefield Park.

Island Bay played with the wind in the first half and scored two goals, while University with the aid of the wind in the second half scored five goals.

The Varsity goals were scored by Danny Chuke, Rod Lingard and John Rees, while the other two goals were own goals.

The fourth and fifth division teams were both well beaten in the knock-out cup games in their respective competitions.

The fourth division lean lost 7-1 to Lower Hull City and the fifth division team was beaten 6-0 by Johnsonvilla.

The sixth division team didn't have a game. The only one of the eighth division teams to win was the "D" team which beat the "A" team 5-1.

The "B" team lost 5-1 to Marist, while the "C" team defaulted to Waterside.

Results and goalscorers in the games played on July 5:

First Division beat Miramar Rangers 3-1 (J. Mehl (2), J. Gallagher); Second Division beat Island Bay Untied 5-2 (D. Chuke, R. Lingard, J. Rees, o.g. twice); Fourth Division lost to Lower Hutt City (K.O. Cup) 1-7 (o.g): Fifth Division lost to Johnsonville (K.O. Cup) 0-6; Sixth Division—no game; Eighth Division "A" lot) to University "D" 1-5 (W. Milloy): Eigth Division "B" lost to Marist (W. Maxted); Eighth Division "C" lost by default to Waterside; Eighth Division "D" beat University "A" 5-1, (D. Blakiston, C. Lakin, A. Morse, D. Quinn, o.g.).

Zultan Apathy (left) hits off target in the Australia-Wellington Province foil match.

Zultan Apathy (left) hits off target in the Australia-Wellington Province foil match.