ROWING

Evening Post, Volume CX, Issue 112, 8 November 1930, Page 22

ROWING

BY "STROKE" THE EIGHTS COURSE

CENTRALISATION

DELEGATES TO CONSIDER

POSITION

a t B far oue of tue most revolutionary proposals that has been considered - by delegates to the annual mooting of - t he N ew Zealand Bowing Association last Avec k was the suggestion that there - central, permanent, course L «» eig h t , N ; t L g de^ * y the way of fixing a course was proposed, but, as a result of the discus- - s j6 u it seems to be certain that next , year there will be notice to fix a .pcr- - manent course, the now rule to come e i n to operation for the 1932-33 season, When the valuable cup which goes - with the eights was donated, the wish s W as expressed that the eights would be rowed on a central course. riho first - raco was rowed in Wellington, but since n then each major association has been ' claiming the privilege of the race for r onco at least, and so it has been held "in Canterbury and Auckland. This year the fixture has been allocated to Otago, r on the argument that the other associ- - ations had it, and for next year Marl- - borough intends putting in a claim, - Once the principle of sending the race - around the country was established, it was hard for delegates to refuse, to - give each district the opportunity oi paging the race, but the time is coming e w hen those in control of rowing m New Zealand are realising that it the race i s to be a success it must be rowed O n a central course. The eights are in a different category from the champions ship regatta. For the eights, transport i s much more expensive, and unless there is to be the minimum amount of travelling it does not seem that there w ill be adequate representation. On the first occasion, all the provinces were represented (though Wellington could not start owing to an accident to their boat), but since then it cannot be said that the fixture has been truly representative. Three crews are not a large enough flcld for an interprovincial eight-oar c h am pionship, and the only way in wn i e h a i arge field can bo assured is s by g t a ging the race at a place which g ; ve . s the competitors the least amount of travelling. - As far as the question of venue is concenie d, the claims of Wellington cannot be overlooked. Two courses are obt t ainablc, a northerly and a southerly courßC) an d the city is within easy reach 0 £ CICWS from the north or from the sou th. The first race for the eights , wl ,i cn was ) le ]d here was, from the point o£ view 0 £ the number of entries, highly - successful. If Wellington is made the cen tral course a fuller representation snO uld be assured, Commenting upon the eights, a writer e j n tue Dunedin "Star" states:—All l eveg j u the rowing community of Otago - have been keenly looking out for the t rC p Or t o f the N.Z.A.R.A.'s annual meetig. n The reason for Otago's big intern est t his year was to see if the 1931 mterprovincial eights championship had beeil allocated to Otago. This has come ato p asSj and satisfaction is the only wor( j t o describo the feelings of all - row i n g nien and supporters of this disn triet . There has been a movement afoot in s au endeavour to centralise the course l f or this event, but when the first race waa held tho provinces, Canterbury, - Wellington, Auckland, and Otago, were p ronl i se d the championship in their dis- - triets in the succeeding years. Well, the three northern provinces have had the racej an & nO w Otago is to have its turn, t j t j g highly probable that after this year's race the course will bo central- - i se( j i a recommendation having been ma de to the New Zealand Bowing Counc ji that a permanent course should be d eoll sidered. , The O.R.A. felt a little uneasy last yearj an d during the early part of the current year, believing that the eights m jght not be held hero in 1931, but as the event was given to Auckland last season (when Otago was entitled toH), it i^****^o*^ t() . te at re j o i c ing in the local associat j on and cr ews from elsewhere conidering coming here to compete in the r&ce c ° n rest assure d that every arrangemen t will be carried out to the 3]nal]est detaill. Otago has been lookj ne f orw ard to this race, and, now that it 6 has got j t] it will be carried through j n a manner that should receive notn i ng but praise from the visitors, otaeo has secured the championship twice ou t the three races, and CantertlirT -^^ the first province to hold the nonour f or a season. The race is fixed for some time during March, and if Qo( j representation is received from ° thcr rov i ncesa willing contest should