Newspaper Article 1965 – Honour for basketball coach

Honour for basketball coach

Mrs R. McCarthy, for 25 years coach to the Hastings Convent Old Girls’ basketball team, will be guest of honour at a jubilee dinner in Hastings tomorrow.

About 150 women, all previous members of the club, will attend.

This season, for the thirteenth year in succession, Mrs McCarthy has been appointed by the Hawke’s Bay Basketball association to select and coach the major Hawke’s Bay representative team for the annual national tournament.

Mrs McCarthy said that over the past 12 years, several members of the COG Club had represented Hawke’s Bay in the major team.

Mrs McCarthy, formerly Miss Rona Tong, was selected to play in the New Zealand representative team which was to have toured Australia in 1937. The tour was cancelled because the Australian and New Zealand basketball associations would not alter their style of the game – Australia played seven-a-side and New Zealand nine-a-side.

Mrs McCarthy played for the Hastings High School and later for the Hastings West End team.

As Miss Tong, Mrs McCarthy was also well known for her athletic achievements. She won a bronze medal at the British Empire Games in 1938, representing New Zealand in the 80 metres hurdles event. She held the New Zealand record for this event.

Mrs McCarthy’s husband has represented Hawke’s Bay in cricket and football teams while her daughter, Karin has represented Hastings as a sprinter.

Photo caption – Mrs McCarthy