Southland's Rowing Eight Covers Full Course In Trial

Southland Times, Issue 23782, 1 April 1939, Page 15

Southland's Rowing Eight Covers Full Course In Trial

By

CLINKER

The water last Saturday was ideal for rowing and the opportunity was taken to give the members of the Southland eight a trial over the full three-mile course. Considering that it was the first row over the full distance, quite a creditable performance was given. Rowing with a good easy swing for the first two miles, and then finishing the last mile very strongly, the crew passed what was certainly a good test of fitness. However, there is no doubt that more consistent training over the full course will be necessary. With several minor faults yet to be'rectified another week of solid training will undoubtedly have a good effect. Apparently the “catch” and the slide work are being neglected. When attention is given to these two important facts, the combination of this crew should be as good, if not better, than that of any crew which has represented Southland in recent years. RIVERTON CLUB Although several members have been training, no consistent boat work is being done, by any Riverton crew. It is understood 'that the only crews competing at the Queenstown fixture are the youths and juniors. Up to last weekend, neither of these crews had been definitely decided, so that if it is this club’s intention to do better at Queenstown than at Invercargill, it will have to get down to solid work. The absence of R. Finnie in the juniors will be a noticeable loss to that crew.

It is noticed that the youth crew has fallen away somewhat since its brilliant performance at Bluff and Riverton Regattas. The coaching of this crew has been badly neglected at such a critical stage. Unless a last-minute decision is made there will be neither maidens nor seniors from this club competing at Queenstown. Several members of the Railway Club have been putting in some good work lately, the youths and maidens being the most regular attenders. An item of interest about this club is that W. Eunson and Robert Sutton will be contesting the youth sculls at the Queenstown fixture. Although still

a youth, W. Eunson has been sculling in the maiden sculls this-season with his original partner, N. Marshall. Should Eunson and Sutton win the youth sculls at Queenstown, the trophy for which they are rowing will be won outright, bearing W. Eunson’s name on each of the three occasions.

The Railway Club will be competing in only the youth and maiden class at Queenstown. Like the other clubs, their juniors and seniors have been upset because of the “eights” being held at Dunedin on the same day. The fact of the interprovincial eights being held in Dunedin prevents two crews from Railway, two from Awarua and the original junior crew from Riverton from competing at Queenstown. Therefore, five more crews would have been entered for the Queenstown regatta had the eights been held at Queenstown. LITTLE TRAINING AT BLUFF Although the weather was ideal for rowing last week, there were not many oarsmen from the Awarua Club seen out on the water. The poor exhibition given by the youths and juniors at Invercargill should be a lesson to this club and a decided improvement in training would be a definite achievement. It is possible that there may yet be a senior crew competing at Queenstown. Should this eventuate, the crew will probably be:—A. Morrison (s), C. Hunter, F. Te Keoiti and F. Lindquist (bow). Invercargill Club members are still Very keen. Perhaps it may be said that the new members are the keenest that have been in the shed for some time The senior crew has been training fairly regularly and should be better in the running at Queenstown than at Invercargill. The youths are extremely keen in their boatwork but more shed training is suggested. A good oarsman should be as capable in his shed as in the boat. The coaches of the beginners in this club should try to eliminate some of the talking which is so prevalent among members while on the water. Apart from these two faults the new members are progressing quite favourably.