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The Spike or Victoria University College Review 1948

Swords Club

Swords Club

In this, the fourth year of its existence, the V.U.C. swords Club is a vigorous and precocious child of the Students' Association, having won the Fencing Championships at the Winter Tournaments of 1946 and 1947, when only two and three years of age.

Last year one of the club members captained the N.Z.U. team which defeated the Wellington Swords Club by 15 bouts to 1; and for the first time a women's team fought at Tournament.

This year our coach—one of the best in the country—is achieving very encouraging results with the twenty to thirty enthusiasts who attend regularly on every club evening. Until Extrav. took over our

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'Fencing Academy', i.e. the Gym., we held only one meeting a week, but now that Tournament looms ahead, the club meets twice weekly. Though most of the time is necessarily used in training in foil-play, the men do fight a number of bouts in sabre and epee. Actually, it is possible to commence by teaching epee or sabre, but a knowledge of foil leads logically and easily to a knowledge of the heavier blades, so that it is usually taught first. The beginner is at first utterly bewildered by the intricacies—and apparent absurdities—of fencing; but he soon learns that with a certain amount of practice and perseverance, he can become a competent foilist within a year.

This year the club will again enter two teams for Winter Tournament—a men's team of four members and a women's team of two. During the season bouts with local clubs will be arranged, partly to provide comparative interest and partly to give members experience in fighting opponents whose tactics they do not already know.

Most of the members of last year's Tournament team are not available this year, so prospective representatives will need a good deal of training and enthusiasm.

Officers

Coach: N. St C. Dickson. Captain: P. Hampton Vice-Captain: N. Runisey. Secretary: Nannette Broom. Committee: Alison Keys, Pauline Michael, W. Stevens, R. Curtis.