Avon Four Seeks N.Z. Title

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30686, 27 February 1965, Page 13

Avon Four Seeks N.Z. Title

TF the Avon senior four has x anything to do with it, there will be a national title brought back to Canterbury from the New Zealand rowing championships now in their final day at Wanganui. It was doubtful for a while whether Avon would be able to boat its all-Olym-pic crew—M. Brownlee, G. Paterson, J. Gibbons, and J. Little—because of Little’s breach of a rule when he rowed for Avon within three months of competing for his former chib, Union, this season.

However, the Canterbury Rowing Association decided the circumstances were “special” enough to give Little the necessary exemption. Before the Olympic Games in Tokyo, the crew rowed in various regattas and was undefeated. They came together again, Paterson from Oamaru and Gibbons from Star, Wellington, at the beginning erf February. It was a question of whether or not they had left it too late to form a co-

hesive unit But they did. not spare themselves in training and could be seen on the river at Kerr’s Reach early in the morning and late at night. Their determination enabled them to produce some remarkable times in training. But in their heat of the national championship event on Wednesday they were beaten by Waikato No. 1. However, they should

emerge from the semi-finals to gain a place in the final. The Union four met two of the finest crews in New Zealand, West End No. 1 and Wellington, and was not placed. The Avon maiden four, however, has progressed to the final and should acquit itself well today. B. Fraser, Union’s hope for the championship singles, was not placed in his heat But he had been concentrating on four-oared rowing.