Oarsman rugby pundit

Press, 13 May 1981, Page 28

Oarsman rugby pundit

■ i New Zealand ‘ Olympic” rower, Tony Brook, will get a free trip’ home from London to Christchurch later this year -- all because of his knowledge of rugby. News lias only just come to' hand that Brook was the winner late last year of a competition run by the New Zealand News (a British newspaper for expatriate Kiwis) to pick the “best” combined All Black-Welsh XV of the last decade.

First prize, courtesy of the Link Organisation, was a return air ticket to New Zealand valued at £760 and Brook intends to use it to come home for- the 1981-82 rowing season. There were. about 1000 competitors and not one managed an . entirely correct entry: Brook came the closest with only one wrong — he had Gareth Edwards at half-back instead of Chris Laidlaw.

The full team, selected by

an illustrious panel of Messrs Bill Mclaren, Carwyn James, Chris Rea, John Reason, and Peter Reilly was:— J. P. R. Williams: Gerald Davies, Bruce Robertson, John Dawes, Bryan Williams; Barry John, Laidlaw; Mervyn Davies: lan Kirkpatrick, Colin Meads, Peter Whiting, Graham Mourie (captain); Ken Gray, Bruce McLeod, Clive Williams.

Second prize in the competition was a seven-week expedition on the Nile. won by an Australian dentist who quipped that the prize would have better suited Brook, who trained on the water every day during the rowing season. The third prize was also a little unusual, a weekend of Welsh hospitality. Brook, a former teacher at Linwood Intermediate after moving north from Dunedin, has been a member of the Ayon Rowing Club since the 1976-77 season.

He filled No. 7 seat in the new Zealand eight which won the silver medal in the 1979 world championships at Bled and stayed on in Britain last June after the short European tour by the New Zealand coxless four which was to have competed in the 1980 Moscow Olympics. . Brook, aged 28, says in a letter to “The Press” that he

has been keeping fit with a few rows, running and lifting weights. He has also had some rugby games with the London New Zealand club.

Avon’s premier coach, David Lindstrom, is looking forward to Brook’s return to the club eight which will attempt to recapture its national title next March. Another international, Duncan Holland, out with an injured back last season, is also likely to return to the crew.

TIM DUNBAR