Rowing Tour May Not Be Supported

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31177, 29 September 1966, Page 14

Rowing Tour May Not Be Supported

The Canterbury Rowing Association will not support the national body's plan to send a crew to Canada next year—if the crew were to be sent under similar circumstances to the eight which went to the world championships at Bled, Jugoslavia, this year.

A letter to the New Zealand Amateur Rowing Association, which was passed by delegates at last evening's annual meeting, will state that the decision to send a crew to Bled was very much a last-minute effort which was apparently forced upon the N.Z.A.R.A. council. The letter says: “The selected crew did not complete fitness tests and members were not given a medical before leaving New Zealand. “The crew’s time trial was completed over 1000 metres and must be considered suspect as it would be very difficult to obtain neutral conditions on the Tamaki basin. “We cannot imagine any 8.8. K. time trials being conducted on this stretch of water.

“The fact that a crew could have a New Zealand winter and compete with credit in world championships after such a selection background is indeed miraculous but surely not the standard on which to base future policies. “This association has always supported the principle of overseas tours and has never hesitated to raise its share of money required.

“In this instance we could not support the sending of a crew to Bled. Obviously no good purpose will be served

by any further recrlminiitlons over this year’s eight, but we do believe the annual meeting of the N.Z.A.R.A. in November must decide on a firm policy for future overseas tours and on the methods of selection to be used.”