SOMETHING ABOUT CHAMPIONS.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXX, Issue 6451, 24 February 1908, Page 3

SOMETHING ABOUT CHAMPIONS.

FACTS AND PERSONALITIES,

Only two New Zealanders tavo ever contested the eoullinß championship of tho world. Tom Sullivan was the first to attack tho vetornn Staubwy after lie had definitely wrested tho honour from McLean. This race, rowed, in 1893, was tho greatest Stnnbury evov rowed. Ho was pushed almost to a standstill and finished a victor, in tho record time of 18min 27&cc. Sullivan afterwards beat Bubear in England, and made two attempts to lower tho colours of the chamEngland, C. .!&. Harding, but n, l'ho other New Zealjnnder ia Willm-m Webb, tho present Champion ot tno world Webb won the championship of New Zealand by defeating Staubury on tho Wanganui nver in Eeccmber, HW). Then ho challenged, tho worlds championship, which George downs had handed to his youngar brother Charles to dofond. Wobb defeated Towns on tho Parramatta rivor in August last. Chris Neilson. was tho first man to defeat Staubury, and Soarlo defeated him shortly afterwards on the Parramatta for .1200, aside, The latter was 0110 of tho greatest races over rowed on tho Parramatta- Soarlo was not able at any stage to get a breather and two records were established.—'the first oi Grain 33600 for tho mile and tho second ot Ifliuiu SHscc for the Parramatta course. Staubury was getting ready to row Searle -again when the latter came back from England after defeating O’Connor, but tho death of Soarle prevented this. When O'Connor camo to Australia Staubury easily beat him on two occasions. When Georgo Towns was in the Old Country in the nineties ho, with two Now Zealanders, rowed in a treble sculling boat from Oxford to Putney, a distance of 1014 miles, in 13 hours 56 minutes. a record which has never been beaten. His mates wore Sullivan and tlollan. , . . IK!Q P. Koran, who was champion in ISaa and again in 1890. won the veterans race, held in Sydney in August 1896. Amongst hie competitors on that occasion wero Hie old rival Me Lean, Pearce, .haycock, Green, Rush, Reynolds, and Beach. . . . Oaudaur hold tho American record for 'three miles—l9mm 30sec. ‘ Kemp onco laid Mattcreon .£IOOO to £9OO and dofeatc<l him. . Bench was tho only champion of the world to retire unbeaten, _ lie . rowed. Novell races for tho championship and won them all. Tho death of Hanlon a few weeks ago corao as a great shock to Australian©. Quito recently tho great oarsman b nephew, Edward Durnan, gave the best possible accounts of liis health, amd his death was quite unexpected in thi© part of tho world. Georg© Towns recently expressed a hop© that ho would bo able to com© 001*063 and see tho Webb-Tressidor race to-day. Ho is at present very fit and well and is fully engaged with hi© boatbuilding business. For thirty years the ecullers of New South Wales provided all the champions of tho world with. the exception of two, Hantan and Gaudaur. New South Wales scullers have all been poor men, unable to help themselves, but after showing skill they have not hod any difficulty, in finding backers. The title of champion of the world has been held by Now South Wales for twenty years out of thirty. Charles Towns, who was defeated by Webb for the championship, was born at Newcastle in 1880 and began rowing in 1807, When under nineteen years old he won a number of handicaps, and gradually his handicaps were reduced until tho tasks set him were almost impossible. In November, 1006, Towns rowed hia first match, with B. Thoroughgood, a very powerful and fairly skilful sculler of over 13st weight. Thoroughgood failed to catch Towns, although ho decreased the gap considerably. Two days later, in a handicap, Thoroughgood defeated Towns, though the latter won by two seconds on time. When George Towns had beaten Durnan last March he thought it wise to retire, and formally forfeited to hie brother. When Charles Towns woe defeated. by Wobb for the championship ho had rowed 84 races and won 17, Tressidor, like Charles Towns, defeated Thoroughgood early last year on tho Hunter river. He came down to Sydney to witness the Webb-Towns match with a view to challenging tho winner, and paid a first deposit the night of tho race to avoid being forestalled.