Hockey Discards Bent Sticks

THERE is some faint kinship between golf and hockey in that in both games a ball is struck with an implement at times described derisively as ‘ a bent stick,’ but there all relationship ends. Both games, however, were introduced into New Zealand towards the end of last century.

The game from which modern hockey developed was first played in England about 1875, with ash sticks and a string ball. The famous Wimbledon Club was formed in 1883, and the English Hockey Association in 1886. Within a few years exponents of hockey were active in propagating the game in the colonies, and in the nineties the Rev. F. H. Mathias, who has been termed ‘ the father of New Zealand hockey’ started the first club at Kaiapoi, near Christchurch.

There was little imported hockey equipment in those days, and most players had their ash sticks steam bent at the local wheelwright’s. Unfortu­nately those sticks had a habit of straightening out after a period of use. Another difficulty was the problem of grounds, and the indifference of the press, which was engrossed in rugby football, re­tarded the spread of the game.

Tinwald, just south of Ashburton, provided another of the early hockey teams, and it was from Tinwald and Kaiapoi that the game grew until now it is popular throughout New Zealand, with a very large following of players. Most games are first played in the cities, and spread from there to the country districts. In the case of hockey the situation was reversed. But in Christchurch after some initial difficulty connected with the securing of a ground at Hagley Park, hockey made rapid headway, and that city has to a great extent always been the spiritual home of New Zealand hockey, the headquarters of the New Zealand Hockey Association being still located there. Canterbury for a long time had the greatest numerical playing strength in New Zealand hockey, but that honour is now claimed by Auckland,” with over 1,250 active players, hockey in Auckland being second only to rugby in its play­ing strength.

Some of the early pioneers of the game in Canterbury, in addition to the Rev. F. H. Mathias, were Harry and George Oram (the former well known as captain of Canterbury for several years), the Rev. Mr. Fairclough, N. Fetherstone, F. Suckling, and M. Fitzgerald. ‘ Mick’ Fitzgerald of Tinwald was a famous figure on the hockey field. He stood 6 feet 3 inches tall, weighed over 15 stone, and represented South Canterbury at hockey and rugby football on the same day.