Sideline Sid Sports correspondant & historian www.sunlive.co.nz

Anzac Day got Sideline Sid thinking about the role that sport played during hostilities over the last one hundred years of armed conflict.

While sport was very much reduced in New Zealand during WW1 and WW2, with many of our young men serving in overseas conflicts - plenty of sporting activity took place at army, navy and air force camps around the world.

Inter-battalion and division sporting competitions were held in such as cricket, rugby, football and athletics in base camps.

There were also inter-service competitions and international service tournaments.

The most well known New Zealand armed forces sporting side were the 1945/46 "Kiwis" Army rugby team.

The "Kiwi" side was a team of battle hardened rugby players, who not only played spectacular running rugby, but lifted the morale of war-torn Great Britain and raised significant money to aid war charities.

The Kiwi team went on to produce 16 All Blacks.

Boxing was another sport that played a big part in the spare-time activities of New Zealand services personnel in theatres of war.

Two pairs of boxing gloves and a roped-off ring were all that were needed to have a boxing contest.

Armed Service boxing was eagerly awaited by American and other servicemen in the Pacific during WW2.

A press report entitled simply "Somewhere in the Pacific" told of a South Pacific Forces Boxing Championship, where 100,000 servicemen enjoyed a respite from hostilities, to witness the various rounds of the tournament.

More than 6000 service personnel were on hand at Guadalcanal, to see former world heavyweight champion Gene Tunney present the medals to the victors.

Tunney was in the Pacific as the head of the Naval Physical Fitness program, holding the rank of Commander.

It was while Commander Tunney was in Guadalcanal, that he renewed acquaintances with Gisborne born Tom Heeney, who he had fought for the World Heavyweight title at Yankee Stadium in New York in 1928.

Tom Heeney, who took out American citizenship and served in the US navy in the Pacific, refereed some of the South Pacific Championship bouts.

During November 1943, Commander Tunney made a short visit to New Zealand.

Sideline Sid has an original photograph of Commander Tunney, shaking hands with the New Zealand 1928 Olympic Boxing champion Ted Morgan on the steps of Parliament in Wellington.

The purpose of the trip was for Commander Tunney to inspect the American Naval physical training program in New Zealand.

While he was here, he took the opportunity to meet a who's who of New Zealand boxing in his trip to our countries capital.

Boxers such as former professional heavyweight champion Morris Strickland and amateur heavyweight titleholder Brian McCleary, who became an All Black after WW2, joined Gene Tunney for photographs on the steps on the New Zealand Parliament.

Post Script- In last week's edition I called legendary Bay of Plenty rugby player Graeme Moore - George.

Graeme Moore played in the Blue and Gold uniform between 1967 and 1980 making 114 Bay of Plenty representative appearances.

The flying winger, who played club rugby for Katikati, scored a record 62 tries and was selected in the Bay of Plenty Dream Team at the BOPRU Centenary celebrations in 2011.