Strong rowing display

Press, 26 May 1984, Page 21

Strong rowing display

The New Zealand junior (under-18) rowing eight, coxed by a St Andrew’s College seventh former, Andrew Bird, swept aside the Australian challenge in the two-test series on Lake Burley Griffen, Canberra, last week-end. The eight twice broke the course record for the 1500 m distance, which had previously been 4min 49.185. On the first day the junior eight recorded 4:39.1 in beating Australia and a combined public schools crew, and it improved to 4:32.3, in beating Queensland I and the combined crew on the Sunday. The New Zealand single scullers, Mark Gardiner

(Marlborough) and Nicki Payne (Wanganui), also won both their races to give New Zealand a 100 per cent record in the series. Gardiner set a new record for a sculler with smin 46.975. Gardiner’s beaten opponent, Andrew Fairfield-Smith (Canberra), will represent Australia in the world junior championships in Sweden later this year. The manager-coach of the New Zealand junior team was Mr Bill Eaddy, of Tauranga, who has previously coached five winning Maadi Cup crews. The members of the eight all attended classes at Tauranga Boys’ College while spending five weeks training

on the Tauranga Harbour for the trip. Apart from Bird, the only South Islander in the “big boat” was Luke Van Velthooven, of Marlborough College. This was the first New Zealand junior eight to go overseas since a crew, coached by Rusty Robertson, contested the world junior championships at Nottingham, England, in 1973. One member of that 1973 crew was David Rodger, a member of the New Zealand Los Angeles Olympic eight. The tour" is part of New Zealand rowing’s three-tier programme — juniors, colts, and then seniors.