Kerr's Reach ranked ahead of other rowing venues

Press, Volume CXIII, Issue 33156, 21 February 1973, Page 12

Kerr's Reach ranked ahead of other rowing venues

One factor—the residence of the national coach, Mr R. Robertson—weighed heavily in favour of Christchurch being retained as the venue for the training of New Zealand rowing crews.

In the past the preparation of squads for overseas tours has been held in the town or close to the hometown of the coach. The first squad training was held in 1952. before the Helsinki Olympic Games, under the direction of Mr C. Healey (Wanganui), on the Wanganui River. From 1962 until 1967 the squad was guided by an Aucklander, Mr E. Craise, in Auckland. A southern venue—Kerr’s Reach, Christchurch —was adopted for the first time six years ago to coinicide with the appointment of Mr Robertson (Oamaru) as the national coach. Kerr’s Reach in 1967 marked the start of the fruitful and rigorous New Zealand training system. Since that year true composite squads have been selected under scientific tests for fitness, stamina and body-typing and have gone into punishing squadtraining routines. The hard work culminated last year with the New Zealand eight winning the gold medal at the Munich Olympic Games—and the coxless four gaining the silver medal, while the coxed four reached the final but was

unplaced. Kerr’s Reach had to be counted alongside Auckland, Hamilton and Wanganui as possible venues for future training. The Auckland Rowing Association last month applied to the New Zealand council to stage the training in Auckland and it was disclosed that Mr Robertson had studied all the named venues. Then the issue went on to the selectors’ plates and they were asked to recommend to the council the venue for future seasons. They again plumped for Christchurch. In doing so the selectors recommended that Kerr’s Reach be the venue for the next four years, which would lead up to the 1976 Montreal Olympic Games.

The recommendation was approved by the council. However, whether rowing enthusiasts throughout New Zealand like it or not, this decision may prompt some parochialism among rhe centres, especially between Auckland and Christchurch.

The Auckland association might not have wanted any dispute, or even expected any, when it applied to have the training in Auckland. But this move sparked off a

train of statements and counter-statements. Auckland decided to withdraw its application and the president of the New Zealand association, Mr D. D. Rowlands, said it had opted out on the grounds that the venue at Kerr’s Reach was marginally better. Mr Rowlands said the association was conscious of the fact that training in Auckland would have Mr Robertson away from home for a length of time, and he had a family to consider.

But Auckland’s withdrawal put the onus back on Christchurch as Kerr’s Reach seemed to be the only appropriate venue left. The decision was criticised by the convener of the national selectors, Mr F. Strachan. He said Auckland should not have withdrawn the application as the selectors had been given the task of recommending a venue—and that Auckland was finding an easy way out because it knew its location did not measure up to Kerr’s Reach. Although it has been

decided that Kerr’s Reach will be the venue for the next four years, this may in fact not eventuate. Auckland, or any other centre, might apply to stage the training in future years, and any new council might change the venue and rescind the previous decision. Auckland, Hamilton or Wanganui might still try and wrestle the venue away from Christchurch. Mr Strachan had said soon after the Auckland application was placed before the council that the move was welcomed, as a pattern would be set for the next four years. He said the council had announced a four-year plan for New Zealand crews touring overseas, and the selectors wanted to keep abreast with this policy, by holding the training in the same place. The Auckland association proposed to have the training on the Tamaki Estuary. On-shore there would have been no problems. The association has just built new club rooms and is fully

equipped with boats and other materials. Off-shore there would have been some worries. The estuary is tidal and has a big rise and fall of tide, and the launching facilities are not good. Rowers would have had to walk quite a distance to launch the boats, sometimes in knee-high mud. At Kerr’s Reach the boats may be launched right on the shore-line. The estuary is more open than at Kerr’s Reach and rough water can occur. The estuary had one benefit—the oarsmen could row further than at Kerr’s Reach before turning around. Like Auckland, the Waikato association has built new club rooms and they are the best equpped in the country. But the oarsmen would have had to overcome the big problem of whirl pools on the Waikato River. However, Waikato had the advantage of being able to use an alternative venue at Lake Karapiro, 20 miles

from Hamilton. Training camps could have been set up at the lake, the best location in New Zealand for competitive rowing. Wanganui is the traditional home of rowing and the city is rowing-minded. The river proves to be a disadvantage because it is subjected to quick, fresh floods, as seen at last year’s national championships, and a lot of driftwood floats downstream.

All the proposed venues matched up to Kerr’s Reach in facilities and equipment, but the difference came with the all-important training site on the water. At Kerr’s Reach, the Avon has an ideal flow, the venue is compact and tidy, and the coach and crews are able to keep in close contact. Christchurch also holds the upper hand in organisation and personnel. The association has formulated a plan for preparing the squads in Christchurch for the training, and have reached the stage where preparation is now routine. The association has Mr Strachan, the chief technical man who planned the previous training operations, Dr T. R. Anderson, the medical and psychological adviser with the Olympic team last year, Mr A. S. Lewis, an expert on physical fitness who conditioned the crews, and Mr E. R. Lindstrom, the assistantcoach for the Olympic team last year. And of course, Mr Robertson, the national coach, lives comparatively nearby in Oamaru.