Rowing Matters.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 9940, 11 December 1900, Page 5

Rowing Matters.

[to the editor.] Sir, —" Como,-' in a recent issue, lakes exception to the alleged want of diligence amongst the members of the Union Rowing Club in not training as they should for the piir-oar races, implying thereby that they are holding back for the Freedman gold medals offered in the four-oar race. This is sheer nonsense, because tho conditions for the gold medals show that the races for the latter are confined to qualified oarsmen, or those the selection committee consider fit to row for such a trophy. Now it must be apparent to "Como" that many of those competing in the ensuing pair-oar races are (jot " qualified : ' oarsmen in the true sense of the term, and it would therefore be to their interest to go in for hard training in order to qualify themselves for competition for the gold medals. As a matter of fact, many of those engaged in the pair-oar races, and who are reported not to be training, have just finished the trial fours, for which they did very hard training, and are as fit now as they ever will be for the pairoar races. The fact that such diligent training is not being done for the pair-oar races dors not imply a lack of interest in the club; on the contrary, the Union Rowing Club has never before " boomed " so much as it has this year, as shown by its evei-increasing membership. Let " Como " take heart. The crews are in good nick, and when the Freedman medals come up for decision thare will be some of tho best rowing ever witnessed under the auspices of the club. —1 am, etc., Honest Sport. Napier, Dec. 10 th, 1900.