UNIVERSITY ROWING

Dominion, Volume 24, Issue 144, 14 March 1931, Page 13

UNIVERSITY ROWING

This Year’s Competition

(By

"Cox.”)

The atinual eight-oared contest between the four university colleges of New Zealand has always in the past been au event of interest both to oarsmen and the general public. This year the race is to be rowed at Dunedin at the same time as the annual university tournament at Easter, and competition should be particularly keen. Of the eight-oared contests held to date Victoria has'-'won two races and rowed second to Canterbury College last year, at Auckland. Auckland will have a strong entry tliis year, and this, together with the fact that Otago University will be participating for the first time, should evince even greater interest in the public jhind than hitherto. Trial Fours To-day. . Of last year’s crew there are still five available —Bell, Cane, Kemp, McGregor, and'McGavin—and there is also an abundance of other eligible oarsmen. The club is to have its “trial fours” today, and the crew will be announced the same day. Training operations will commence immediately the crew is selected, and a well-balanced and fit combination should be boated by the day of the race, which is on Easter Saturday, April 4. The time is not far distant when university rowing will come into its own and achieve the same importance in university life as obtains the world over, particularly England, where the annual OxfordCambridge contest is one of the events of the year. It will not be very long before Victoria College at least will have sufficient funds, and, it is to be hoped, a suitable site, to start a club of its own and participate in outside regattas. University Coach. The crew is to have the advantage of Mr. F. H. Mullins’s coaching, who has rowed No. 7 iu the Victoria boat for the last two years, and who was also a member of the original four-oared ’Varsity crew which defeated Auckland University op Auckland Harbour in 1927. Mr. Mullins has also represented Wei-, liugton on several occasions in ihe annual interprovincial championships, and has had experience in rowing and coaching.