Weekender, January 18, 2020
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SATURDAY, JANUARY 18, 2020 Bay rules the roost in 1920 Gisborne was a province of sporting champions a century ago. 1920 was a golden year with national championship-winning teams in cricket and hockey and four national boxing champions, including the legendary Tom Heeney. e Herald’s Wynsley Wrigley looks back at the highlights of the sporting year of 1920. he Hard Rock from Down Under “is not the prime age for boxing”; harsh as he was know in the United words for a man aged only 29. States, Gisborne boxer Tom Pooley was seven years older than THeeney won the New Zealand Heeney and had fi rst won the national heavyweight title in October 1920 when heavyweight title in 1914. he defeated Aucklander Albert (Alf) Heeney “will take no shame from a Pooley in Gisborne. beating by a man of Pooley’s reputation, Heeney went on to become the and should he gain the verdict, will gain country’s most famous boxer, with a considerable kudos,” said the Herald. world heavyweight title challenge against e opera house was packed to near Gene Tunney in 1928. capacity with many out-of-town visitors e Poverty Bay women’s hockey team on a day which also featured a Poverty were New Zealand champions in 1920, Bay Turf Club race meeting and the A&P thrashing Auckland 6 goals to 1 in the Show. fi nal of the national tournament played “ e feeling in the house was one of at Childers Road Reserve. intense excitement and expectation e Hawke Cup, cricket’s equivalent when the curtain rang up on the of the Ranfurly Shield, contested by the professional heavyweight match country’s minor associations — that is of 15 three-minute rounds for the excluding the then fi rst class provinces championship of New Zealand.” of Auckland, Wellington, Canterbury and e fi ght went the full 15 rounds and Otago — was won by Poverty Bay in the then “an uproar of cheers greeted the previous 1918-1919 season, and three referee’s announcement of Heeney as the challenges were successfully repulsed on winner of the contest”. home soil in 1919-1920. e Gisborne Times quoted the referee Tom Heeney defeated Bill Bartlett and as giving three rounds to Pooley, three as George Modrich in 1920 before winning even and nine to Heeney. the New Zealand heavyweight title on Pooley said he accepted the referee’s October 27. decision, but was disappointed. All three fi ghts were held in the He believed he was ahead after 10 Gisborne Opera House, which was rounds. demolished after the 1966 earthquake. Tom Heeney’s older brother Jack It stood on the site now occupied by had won the vacant New Zealand Briscoes and Watts Motors Mitsubishi. middleweight title 18 days earlier in THE HARD ROCK FROM DOWN UNDER: New Zealand heavyweight champion Tom Heeney e bout with defending champion Dargaville when he defeated Aucklander is pictured in a fi ghting pose at his Fairhaven training camp, USA, where he was preparing for his fi ght against American champion Gene Tunney in 1928. He entered the ring at Yankee Pooley off ered a purse of 150 and Laurie Cadman. Stadium before 46,000 spectators wearing a korowai sent to him by Sir James Carroll’s widow, expenses. Heni Materoa. Heeney left the ring with his pride intact, defeated by a TKO in the 11th round, e Poverty Bay Herald’s preview said and with $100,000 in his bank account. The Gisborne boxer started on the road to his world Pooley was a skilled and clean fi ghter but CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 title fi ght when he won the New Zealand heavyweight title in Gisborne in 1920. AP fi le photo All proceeds raised from this event will go towards getting Mathew Hatten to the Globe eatre in London as a member of the prestigious Shakespeare Globe Centre NZ Young Shakespeare Company. For more detail on how Mathew was chosen for this incredible opportunity visit his campaign page; www.facebook.com/getmattotheglobe 30508-01 2 THE GISBORNE HERALD LEAD Champion boxers, hockey and cricket teams FROM PAGE 1 Jack Heeney defended his title in Auckland on December 1920 and retained it until 1924. His son Darcy won a silver medal at the 1938 British Empire Games in Sydney and was killed in World War 2, along with 149 other New Zealanders, when HMS Neptune struck enemy mines and sank of Libya in 1941. here was only one survivor from 757 men. Another Gisborne boxer, Lin Robinson, was the featherweight national champion between 1919 and 1922. He defended his title four times in 1920, in Te Aroha (twice), Hamilton and Blenheim. Robinson was champion again from 1925 to 1927, successfully defending his title another three times. Des Lawler, also of Gisborne, was the national amateur welterweight champion in 1920. he success of the local boxers led the Gisborne Times to say “it could be said without contradiction that there is no town in the world, certainly none the size of Gisborne, that could lay claim to such a proud istic record”. Poverty Bay women were a major force in 1920s hockey at a time when rural provinces dominated the sport and hockey was more popular among women than netball. NATIONAL HOCKEY CHAMPIONS: The Poverty Bay women’s hockey team of 1920 featured (rear, from left) N. Gallagher, R. Solvander, A. Bilham, Mrs G. Buscke (chaperon), J. Bilham, M. Ferguson and N. Kay; (middle, from left) N. Fairlie, K. Hei, G. Buscke (manager), According to Mackay’s Historic Poverty L. Lynex (captain), O.R.O. Olsen (coach), I. Robb and F. Hill (vice-captain); (front, from left) A. Hei and G. Newey, Insets: G. Fanning (left) Bay, the women were national champions and I. Pearce. Picture courtesy Gisborne Photo News in 1915, 1918, 1920 and 1922 and came second in 1921 and 1924. “the tooting of motor horns and prolonged, Four national tournaments were held in vociferous cheering, which called to memory Gisborne between 1920 and 1938. the peace celebrations of 1918,” reported the According to Sport and the New Zealanders Times. by Greg Ryan and Geof Watson, Poverty he 1-1 draw was suicient for Poverty Bay Bay won a hat-trick of national titles from to play the other pool winner, Auckland, in 1920-1922. the inal played on September 11. he strength of women’s he inal, which attracted hockey in the Bay had “. it could be said 3000 spectators, was an been shown as early as without contradiction even match for much of the 1914 when the touring irst half before two late England side sufered their that there is no town Poverty Bay goals, according only defeat at the hands in the world, certainly to the Gisborne Times. of Poverty Bay by 5 goals none the size of Auckland spent most of to nil. the second half on defence In the 1920 national Gisborne, that could and home captain Mrs tournament, Poverty Bay lay claim to such a L. Lynex accepted the won their irst three pool trophy “amidst a scene of games with victories over proud istic record”. indescribable enthusiasm”. Wanganui 2-1, Hawke’s Eighteen months before, Bay 3-0 and Manawatu 3-0. the Poverty Bay cricket side had captured he inal pool game against defending the Hawke Cup from Wanganui at Cooks champions Canterbury was described by the Gardens and defended it against the same Times as “the big match” and attracted 1500 side at the Oval on December 26 and 27, spectators. 1919. Canterbury scored irst in what was he irst challenge of the new year came NATIONAL CRICKET CHAMPIONS: The Poverty Bay side who took the Hawke Cup of efectively a semi-inal. from Wairarapa in a match played at Wanganui at Cooks Gardens in 1919 comprised (rear, from left) J. Schollum, S. Reeves, A. he equalising Poverty Bay goal resulted in Gisborne’s Oval on February 23 and 24. Coombe and W. Atkinson; (middle, from left) J. Gates, T. Pere, W. Oates (captain), R. Barton Poverty Bay won the toss and elected to and O. Miller; (front, from left) J. Mill and W. Blair. Poverty Bay defended the Hawke Cup ive times before losing it 1921. Picture courtesy Gisborne Photo News Confidence with a smile bat. Opening bowler Tom Southall, who played he Times described the result as a win outright. • Full dentures • Partial dentures • Denture repairs irst class cricket for Wellington, “created a tremendous achievement and “suggests the Poverty Bay cantered to an eight wicket win • Hygienic Workmanship • Mouthguards local team is going to be a hard nut to crack on day two with opener Reverend Tasman • Gold work • Quality materials • Personal Service sensation” when he bowled opener William • Teeth bleaching • Guaranteed Expertise Blair with the third ball of the match for a for the other Hawke Cup contenders”. Drake providing “splendid batting”. • WINZ quotes • Free Consultation duck. he third defence of the season, played on He scored 45 not out, and with Blair, 24no, he disastrous beginning was of no March 13 and 15 (no playing on Sunday), were “accorded an ovation on coming of the consequence with Poverty Bay going on to was moved to Childers Road Reserve where ield”. win the match by an innings and 38 runs. Manawatu expressed concerns about the Poverty Bay defended the Hawke Cup one Poverty Bay scored 244 and dismissed pitch and outield. more time in the following 1920-21 season, the visitors for 80, and when enforcing the he Times described day one as featuring beating Wanganui by two wickets before follow-on, 126.