CONCERN AT STANDARD OF NEW ZEALAND ROWING CREW

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31089, 18 June 1966, Page 11

CONCERN AT STANDARD OF NEW ZEALAND ROWING CREW

TJOWING men throughout x *'New Zealand are deeply concerned that New Zealand will be represented at the world championship regatta at Bled, Jugoslavia, in September, by a crew which falls far short of the standard required for international rowing.

Although the majority of those selected for the training squad have represented New Zealand once and some several times before, the general standard of physical fitness is not good enough for a crew which is seeking world-class honours.

It is safe to assume that the New Zealand Amateur Rowing Association Council will have some penetrating questions to answer when delegates to the association gather for the annual meeting later in the year—there is no half-yearly meeting this year.

At the last annual meeting Auckland delegates strongly criticised the council and the chairman, Mr L. E. Brooker for committing rowing crews to overseas tours before a full association discussion had taken place. The association and the council then decided that no New Zealand crew would be sent to Bled. A few months ago the council reverted to its original plan and called for nominations for New Zealand selection trials in Auckland at Queen’s Birthday weekend. Behind this change of mind were moves made in Auckland. The Auckland association asked the council to allow the Auckland provincial eight—the top eight in New Zealand—to represent the country. One member guaranteed the finance. However the council decided to hold selection trials open to oarsmen throughout ..he country. Five of the 10-man training squad were in the crew which toured Australia successfully last year. Four of these five are Auckland men. Auckland has another two representatives as the Oamaru man, A. G. Clark,

has been rowing in Auckland for the last season. Dissatisfaction with the way the trials were conducted has been expressed freely in most centres. Because of mechanical fault not every man was able to complete the ergometer test but of those who did, the man with the lowest rating was included in the training squad.

The 100 plus physical fitness tests were not given and many of the oarsmen said openly they were not at peak physical fitness. While the ergometer and 100 plus tests do not give the complete picture, taken together, they do give the selectors a reasonable indication of the abilities of each man.

Rowing men are anxious to know why these tests were not properly applied. So far no reason has been given. On top of this the selected crew was soundly beaten by the losers in a trial race. Associations are loathe to level personal criticism at the selectors, Messrs D. Rowlands, F. Strachan and R. Douglas, who had a difficult job to do. But there is strong feeling that the conduct of the tests was not what it should have been. They have been called a fiasco.

Administrators throughout the country have little desire to see a sub-standard crew compete at Bled. They feel a poor performance could only harm the future of rowing in New Zealand. There seems little hope that the New Zealand squad can reach top physical fit-

ness in just over two months, let alone come within world times for the 2000-metre course.

The crew will go from a New Zealand winter to a European summer without the benefit of hard racing. It will have a few build-up races in Europe before going on to Bled where it will come up against crews which have been together and in training for three to four years. Last November the chairman of the council, Mr Brooker said that the crew which had just toured Australia would be the basis of a world class crew.

“We would hope this now hardened crew can be retained as far as possible to form our squad for the Mexico Olympic Games in 1968,” he said. Once the crew came back from Australia, following the now customary pattern, it was disbanded, and members returned to their clubs. Some are still active but others have dropped from the scene. Once the 1965-66 season ended about Easter it was left to the individual oarsman to keep himself in shape for possible selection for Bled, the return visit of the Australians this year, a tour of Canada and the United States next year and Mexico in 1968.

As was seen at the trials, oarsmen had allowed their standard of fitness to drop. The only other country to follow this pattern is Great Britain. Other nations keep their crews in training.

On the technical side the New Zealand oarsmen are also at a disadvantage. The longest blades in use here are 12ft 2in as against 12ft 6in overseas where the spoons of the blades are also much bigger. This means that overseas rowers are fitter and stronger —they have to be to use these blades to the best advantage. Administrators are also concerned that little information has so far been gained from overseas trips to Perth and Tokyo. Many would like to see a factfinding mission go to Bled and study training and coaching methods to see where New Zealand is going wrong.

As matters stand, it is a waste of time and money for an eight to compete at Bled. The squad and its coach would be better employed training to beat the Australians later in the year and preparing for Canada, the United States, and Mexico.

Increased Burden

The nomination of Mr A. B. McCallum as sole South Island selector has placed yet another burden on the shoulders of Canterbury’s top table tennis administrator.

If Mr McCallum gains the post, as seems likely, he will add this further task to a load which includes being the president of the New Zealand and Canterbury associations and coselector for the Canterbury representative team. Mr McCallum also plays a leading role in the organisation of table tennis tournaments in Christchurch and the enormous administrative burden he has assumed is not a reflection of a lack of suitable alternative administrators, but of his own ability.