The bond has tightened and the New Zealand University Tournament stands to-day as the strongest bond of friendship between the students of the four Centres. Every year at Easter over two hundred students gather at one or other of the Centres and meet in seven different athletic sports. They come from all parts of New Zealand and from all classes of the community but they are drawn together in this, the greatest of all gatherings of students in the Dominion.

The first suggestion of a Tournament seems to have been a letter from Canterbury College in 1900, inviting the University Colleges of New Zealand to meet at Christchurch in the Easter of 1901 and hold a Tournament in Athletics, Tennis and Debating. Owing apparently to lack of enthusiasm this suggestion was allowed to drop, but with V.U.C.'s solid support the invitation was renewed the following year and this time the other Colleges were in earnest, and adequate repre-sentation was guaranteed immediately. The original ideas apparently arose out of conversations between H. P. Richmond of V.U.C. and W. L. Scott of C.U.C. at a tennis contest between these Colleges in 1900. Later the interest of Mr. G. F. Dixon was gained and in 1901 he solicited election to the Executive of the V.U.C. Students' Association and with willing helpers formulated plans for a contest in 1902. The plans were unfolded to C.U.C. authorities and out of them grew the New Zealand University College Tournament.

The Committee appointed by the V.U.C. Students' Association to make full arrangements for Victoria's representation at the first Tournament consisted of R. St. J. Beere, G. F. Dixon, P. S. Foley, H. H. Ostler, J. Stout, G. M. Henderson, D. Matheson and F. A. de la Mare. The Committee did its work well, and considering her position as the youngest of the University Colleges, V.U.C. had reason to be proud of the results of this Tournament, being third in Athletics, second to C.U.C. in Tennis, and placed second equal with A.U.C. in the Debate. The first Tournament was voted a huge success, thanks mainly due to the energy displayed by the C.U.C. delegates, Messrs. F. T. M. Kissel and E. D. Rice, and the co-operation of the leaders of the visiting teams, Messrs. F. C. Long (A.U.C.), W. M. Thomson (O.U.) and G. F. Dixon (V.U.C.).

Since 1902 the Tournament has continued up to the present day with only one interruption—the contest was not held during the War years, 1916, '17 and '18. The present financial depression very nearly caused another stoppage in 1932, when Canterbury College and Otago University were in favour of a postponement, but V.U.C., the hosts for the year, were so persistent with their invitation that finally a full Tournament was held.

The original Tournament programme, however, has been radically altered by the inclusion of new events. Very few amendments were made up to 1915, but since Tournament was resumed after the War, Boxing, Shooting, Basketball, Swimming and Rowing have all been added to the programme and Debating has been removed. In 1919 it was decided to institute an Inter-Island Cricket Match "as a permanent fixture to be played in conjunction with the Easter Tournament" Only one such match was played, how page 73 ever (in 1920, won by the South Island), and the event was withdrawn the following year. A scheme to hold a North v. South Football Match was also put forward by Auckland in 1921, but the proposal met with no support.

In its method of organisation the Tournament has remained unchanged. The present Tournament Committe is composed of two delegates from each of the four University Centres, just as the 1902 Committee was. The Committee meets only at Easter, all business during the rest of the year being carried on by correspondence. The original rules, however, have proved quite inadequate, and in addition to the minor amendments of each year, general overhauls have been made in 1908, 1928 and 1933. Possibly because V.U.C. is the Law School, these overhauls have always fallen to her lot.

In 1915 a V.U.C. Sub-committee submitted a scheme for the award of New Zealand University Blues by the Tournament Committee. After having been allowed to drop during the War years the scheme was again taken up in 1919, and with various amendments, was put into force a year or two later. Although the actual award of Blues will be taken over by the New Zealand University Students' Association in the near future, the Tournament Committee will still continue to act as the recommending body in the sports which it controls.

It would be impossible in the space available in this publication to consider in any detail the history of Tournament from year to year, although such a history, if ever written, would be of absorbing interest to past and present students of the College. A brief account of each sport is the best that can be done, and this follows.

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