Another tour ahead for top oarsmen

Press, Volume CXIII, Issue 33141, 3 February 1973, Page 4

Another tour ahead for top oarsmen

The New Zealand rowing squad will later this year embark oh an overseas trip, almost as arduous as last year’s successful venture to the Munich Olympic Games. But the 1973 squad, which will travel to Moscow for the European championships at the end of August, will be considerably smaller than the team of 18 oarsmen who went to Munich. At present only one crew . —a coxed four —is a certainty to tour, although a double scull and coxless pair crew might accompany the coxed four. Only small boats will go to Europe, so an eight will not be at the championships to defend the title it won in 1971.

The laurels will fall on the coxed four to keep intact New Zealand’s image as one of the top rowing countries in the world. The convener of the national selectors, Mr F. Strachan, said the first priority for the championships was a coxed four—this was the major type of rowing throughout the world. “We have set the eight as the priority for too long,” Mr Strachan said. “The eights race is the blue ribbon event of all regattas and the New Zealand eight needs some encouragement for competition. We feel the eight needs a spell.” Mr Strachan said New Zealand was only sending a squad to Europe to keep in touch with world rowing and find out what was happening in the sport. The trials for the European championships will be held on the Wanganui River in May. Nominations for the trials closed last week. Competition at the trials will be keen as the oarsmen know they are contesting only a few seats. The grind of training will begin soon afterwards and the squad will leave for overseas in the first week of August. The European championships will be held from August 28 to September 2. The New Zealand squad hopes to compete in one European regatta and then in a special challenge against East Germany before moving to Moscow for the major event. The New Zealand team plans to row at a regatta a week after arriving in the country, then have a week of preparation before tackling the East German team. The New Zealanders will then travel to Moscow to train on the course which will be used for the championships. This year also provides an incentive for the younger oarsmen in New Zealand.

A colts eight will be sent to Australia either in May or December. As yet the tour has not been confirmed and the New Zealand Rowing Association has written to the Australian association to finalise arrangements. If the tour is set for May, trials for the eight will be held in March on the Wanganui River. The selected crew will train for a month before it departs for Australia. The crew will go through the same procedure as the seniors to get it accustomed to the present New Zealand system of training. Mr Strachan said the

aim of sending an eight to Australia was to ensure that young oarsmen were available to fill gaps in any national eight. He said the experience gained from putting the crew through the coaching system was enough to warrant selection of the eight. Colts crews have been sent to Australia on two occasions, in 1970 and 1971, for the same purpose. Several of the survivors of those tours are now national representatives, including the two Christchurch members of the Munich eight, T. I. Coker and A. J. Earl.