Rowe moves to Australia

Press, 10 February 1981, Page 30

Rowe moves to Australia

When Paul Rowe swims at the national championships in Rotorua from February 25 to 28 it will almost certainly be hi*s last involvement as a New Zealand swimmer. Rowe, who has become New most accomplished swimmer since the retirement of Rebecca Perrott and the default of Gary Hurring, is considering accepting a scholarship to the newly established Australian Institute of Sport in Canberra. At the New Zealand Games two weeks ago Rowe set three national records and won a gold and a silver plaque. At an international meeting in Melbourne on Saturday night he won two further events and set another national record. In the space of a few weeks he haJ become virtually a household name, and the New Zealand Amateur Swimming Association was placing its hopes on Rowe leading the New Zealand team at the Commonwealth Games in Brisbane in October next year. Now it appears Rowe will be one of the senior members of the Australian side. After the Melbourne meeting he stayed in Australia and has travelled to Canberra to discuss the scholarship with the director of the multisports institute, Don Talbot. Rowe’s father, Mr C. L. Rowe, said from Auckland last eveing that Paul had gone to Canberra to check on the courses available at the Canberra University. “He wants to do a B.Com and he is looking to see if the course is suitable before

he decides on the scholarship.”

Mark Treffers. the 1974 Commonwealth Games Gold medallist is Rowe’s brother-in-law .and lives in Canberra. Mr Rowe said he had asked Treffers to help him if he had any questions or doubts. The scholarship involves full tuition and accommodation but the main reason for going to Australia was the hard training Rowe would get with an elite group of about 25 swimjmers.. “We don't know for certain but it seems sure that to get the scholarship, Paul would have to agree to swim for Australia. That seems only natural,” said Mr Rowe. Another reason for Rowe’s pending move to Australia, is the uncertainty he faces with his coach. Hilton Brown in Auckland. The day Mr Brown arrived back in Auckland after being assistant coach to the New Zealand Games team, he was told that the 25m indoor covered pool he uses for his squad at Mt Roskill, was being closed because of the rising heating costs. Mr Brown said last evening that he had been using outdoor pools since the Games. That would be no encouragement for Rowe to stay in New Zealand. He said he would not blame Rowe if he accepted the scholarship. “It is worth $BOOO to $lO,OOO a year. That includes tuition, accommodation, coaching and the use of medical facilities. Money is no problem apparently.”