ATHLETIC SPORTS.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1559, 1 October 1912, Page 7

ATHLETIC SPORTS.

ROWING, THE DOMINION ASSOCIATION. REPORT ON THE YEAR. The report which is to bo presented at the annual meeting of the New Zealand Amatem Ro-.vmg Association on Saturday evening, October 12, states that tho creilit balance at tho bank is ,£(>7 7s. Id., the balance of assets over liabilities is .Elil 17s. Id., whilst tho net receipts for the year over expenditure is .Ell Is. lOd. The number of clubs "affiliated to' the iis-oci,v tion is 55, with a total active pay ia membership of 2921, an increaso since last' year of 3 and 2 respectively. The number of local associations is nine. Boatbuilders Professional*? "The last annual meeting (states the report) instructed that a legal opinion be obtained as .to whether under tho rules of the association a member of. a club who builds boats , other than racing boats is a professional. Snoh opinion has boen obtained,'and tho answer is:'No, but he would bccome one if he sold his boats to a rowing: club.' Ho would then be deriving pecuniary profit from tho funds of the club. The Amateur Status. "At tho last annual meeting a. motion was-carried leaving the' question of the ineligibility of our oarsmen to compete in Australian inter-Stat© championships in the hands ..of. the connoil to see if'eame could not be removed; Taking advantage of a holiday visit to Sydney,' your secretary discussed tha matter with the rowing authorities there, the result of which was embodied in a Teport issued'and circulat-. Ed by him dated March 30 last. The nuestion being an important one, your council called a special meeting of delegates, which was held in Wellington on June 1 to discuss the report mentioned. The meeting was not a full one, three associations ..being unrepresented, but by a ma-! jority of 11 votes, to l a recommendation to apiend our'present amateur rtffiliitioii so as .to . make- our' qarsmen eligible to compete .in Australia and other parts of the world in amateur rowing events was defeated. The position, therefore, now* is that, New Zealand oarsmen transferred to Australia- must first be reinstited before they can join any of the amateur rowing •dubs there. There is. no difficulty about this, provided, of course, that such men aro not professionals in other branches of B P°rt; but the fact that reinstated men are not .allowed to compete in inter-State . oontests. of course debars New Zoalmd oarsmen from securing their representative caps. Further, New Zealand cannot compete' m Olympic contests, and must lemam unrepresented in any championsnip contest held, outside of Now .Zealand, so long 'as our amateur definition rruiains a~s it now-is, and we continue to advertise on our regatta programmes that races aro for money prizes, council consider this-position is'both undesirable and .nonprogressive, and think that the various local associations will be well advised to reconsider this matter.

Style of Rowing, "The question of'style of rowing and as to whether a uniform style, which could ba regarded as both correct and effective, could.be adopted for New .Zealand, v,-.is <iiscirssed:at tile meeting of delegates Wld last June, and jour seoretary was. instructed to write to local associations asking them to collect data from local coaches,' such data to be supplied to :ho \ corncil, who would appoint a sub-commit-t9 t • colls .'def same and report the'eon; associations have been duly circularised, but as yet no reports are forthcoming. ■/■>,- •■•■■■■ 1 Eight-oared Rowing. , council aro pleased to. record the fact that permission was grouted the Auckland Roiying. Club. to -institute •■■a challenge ftieh't-oared race, such race to be held annnallv for a shield, or cup, a?id to be open; to all.'alums' -affiliatod'-to votir association, the first race to bo held on tho wairp.niata Harbour, under the.auspices flf tho Auckland. Rowing Association. hope'that *ill folj the eiit<;rpri«e of-.the Auckland Club, and that, emht-oarecl rowing: will, bo enthus^3tically;takon tip by. all other dubs, and th<it contests in tnis class will fveritually ;bo' included in- all regatta ]»rogrammcs.; . . . • 7 , . Olympic Games, r X° u i'® Sso ciation duly became members of the Is.ew Zealand Olympic Council, .and assisted that body- in their pfforts to obpresentation of New Zealand "',7 t lat » Olympic Games at Stockholm. Whilst regretting that it was not possible :to send oarsmen from New Zealand ive congratulate the Australian Eight on their splendid performances both at Hen- • it. Stockholm; Amateur rowin" in this hemisphere has been brought , prominently to the front in the rowin» worldly this crew, ami your council, hop? that tho proposed y.sit of English oarsmen to Australia in the near future will oventuate, and feel sure_ that it must be u . v matteT of regret to New Zealand oarsmen to think that at present at any Tote the question of sending' a New Zealand crew to Australia at the same time as tho E:\trlishtnen would be there cannot be considered. t ■ ,- T —; NEW SOtJTH' WALES HENLfeV. ■ By Teloeraph—Press Associatlon-Copyrislit . (Rec. October 1, 1.10 a.m.) , , Sydney, September 30. A subcommittee appointed by the Now bouth wales Roving Association has reported in favour of holding a Henley -re-' gatta on the canal at Haberfield, - pro- ■ vided that satisfactory ai'raneertients can t J for CD closiiigi sufficient land shutting on the canal, and a right nomural to charge for admission. A deputation is to seek the sympathy and' help or the Government.