Lack Of Money May Affect Rowing Tour

Press, Volume CX, Issue 32351, 17 July 1970, Page 15

Lack Of Money May Affect Rowing Tour

The New Zealand rowing squad to tour the United States and Canada and take part in the world championships at St Catherine’s, Ontario, during August-Septem-ber, may have to be drastically reduced in size if more money is not forthcoming. A total of $lO,OOO will have to be raised within a week, or as many as seven squad members may miss the tour, the manager of the team (Mr F. Strachan) said yesterday. “The eight is our priority, followed by the four, and then the reserves,” Mr Strachan added.

The oarsmen under threat are the four, B. Johnston, R. Collinge, N. Mills and G. Minnell, the cox, P. Lindsay, and the reserves for the eight, R. Murphy and D. Molesworth.

A collection will begin throughout the Dominon today and 10 stalls have been organised in Christchurch. The New Zealand Rowing Association was faced with an over-all cost of $28,000 to cover the tour, trials and training expenses, and has been able to find all but $lO,OOO of this amount. This includes $6900 the association is hopeful of receiving from a Golden Kiwi grant, a promise of $5680 from the Canadian Government, and $lOOO the oarsmen have raised themselvei. The New Zealand team will leave on August 4 and will compete in the United States western zone trials and national championships before contesting Die world chain-

pionships from September 2-6. New Zealand won both the eights and fours titles at the United States championships in 1967. The eight this year includes W. Cole, D. Storey and R. Joyce, who won the fours gold medal at the Mexico City Olympic Games in 1968. J. Hunter, W. Veldman, G. Cawood and S. Diekie (coxswain), members of the last Olympic Games eight, have retained their places. West Germany, the United States, East Germany, and Australia should provide New Zealand's strongest opposition at the championships. The team will return on September 13.