ROWING Club Told ‘Pulling A Fast One’

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30312, 12 December 1963, Page 23

ROWING Club Told ‘Pulling A Fast One’

Allegations that the Timaru Rowing Club did “not appreciate what was being done for it” and was “pulling a fast one” were made by delegates at last evening's meeting of the Canterbury Rowing Association when the club made application to compete at regattas outside the province, the dates of which clashed with two regattas in Canterbury’.

The club first made application to compete at Oamaru on December 14, the date of the first regatta in Canterbury for the Kerr's Reach pennant, on the grounds that it could not afford the increased travelling expenses to visit Christchurch. After this had been granted, its delegate (Mr E Temple) made a verbal appli- , cation for permission to travel i to Picton on January 1. Port Chalmers on February 15. the) New Zealand championships: on February 29-March 1 and: a regatta at Lake Waihola (Otago) on February 23. The chairman (Mr B. R. Walker) commented on the fact that the club could apparently afford to travel to Picton and Port Chalmers, a considerably greater distance than that to Christchurch. All applications were approved with the exception of the Lake Waihola regatta, which was scheduled to be held the day after the Canterbury championship regatta at Charteris Bay. This application was held over until it was known whether Timaru would be competing in the Canterbury event before travelling to Lake Waihola. No Instructions When asked if lie knew the I club's intentions, Mr Temple | refused to comment. Pressed by delegates, he said. "I have no instructions on the matter." "Surelv a delegate should know what its club is doing It looks like a fast one to me,” said Mr G. L. Young. "Is there something in the wind. Is there something we are not doing right?” inquired Mr D. Wright. It did appear that if Timaru was going to attend the Canterbury championship regatta it would have said so, said Mr Walker. The New Zealand Amateur Rowing Association did not approve of rowing on a Sunday (January 23 is a Sunday), and it was a club's first duty to attend its own provincial championships. “If its crews can go to Picton and Port Chalmers I then expense does not come I into it. “Timaru can at no stage say that we have not had their interests at heart. They are in Canterbury rowing, even though they are 100 miles away from Christchurch, There are not nearly

enough regattas in Canterbury now. Here is our one main regatta for which we expect to get entries from outside the province and one of our clubs appear unlikely to enter,” Mr Walker said. Travelled To Titnaru City clubs had put themselves out to travel to Timaru’s regatta in the past, said Mr W. Richards. Mr Temple: "I don’t think that is relevant.” Mr Richards: “It is as far as sportsmanship is concerned." The city clubs would give Timaru every assistance so that they could attend the Canterbury regatta, even as far as lending them boats, he emphasised. On Mr Richards's recommendation it was decided to hold over a decision on the Waihola regatta until the Timaru club made known its intentions regarding the Canterbury championship regatta.