ROWING EIGHTS

Evening Post, Volume CXVII, Issue 73, 27 March 1934, Page 7

ROWING EIGHTS

FIXTURE FOR SATURDAY

SEVEN CREWS COMPETING

The ■iuterprdvineial eights, to bo rowed :oh Saturday"' afternoon., over a, three-mile course from Ngatiauranga towards Petone,; should'-prove the most spectacular rowing event of the season* Seven crews representing Auckland, '"Wanganui," Wellington, Marlborough, Canterbury, Otago, and' Southland will face the starter, and judging by re- : ports-from the various provinces tho ; contest will probably .-be1' a close one. The present holders of ;th«: championship, .Otago, have tad several changes made in the personnel of their crew this year, and it seems doubtful if the crew will prove as outstanding as previous^ Otago crews. The.public will be -adequately catered .;for_ by the rowing authorities, and.arrangements hava been .made for;a special: train follow the race from start to finish.,: The train willleave Lambton Statioa.at 2.35 p.m., and another special train - will leave Petone at 2.40 p:m.. Both trains will .proceed.toi v Ngahauranga,■ where they; will be joined prior to the start of tha race. At the conclusion of the interprovincial eights the spectators will be given' an opportunity: of remaining at' Petohe to watch ther. inter-club and inter-island- fights, which ■ commence later in the afternoon. The HalliburtonJohnstone Cup' for the' iiiterprb vincial eights and'^a cup for the inter-island.' contest will be presented in the evening at the Town Hall, where.a-dance has been arrangd.by.tbe Begatta Club. Latest -reports .from Dunedin state that misfortune has dogged the progress of the Otagp eight'since its selec-: "tion at the. beginning .of the months :'.^ln the.first place,". states the "Dunedin Star,", "the selectors • were inclined^ to cut things fine by delaying the selection when 'they, knew the crew would include a. majority of new representatives. Then .the weather has been a big deterrent in the crew'a' training, rough water.having been experienced i'more' of ten:-than not. And now,.when the crew-should,be..well oa th& way towards - developing. its '.all-im-portant combination, changes have .lad to be made in the personnel. Principally, of course,'. Pate ■ has' -had a hand ia. matters, aridnowit seems that unless, it plays its h"and; moro: favourably it! may cost the province its championship title in j;he interprovincial contest at' "Wellington. " ■ ■" _ The crew to represent" Canterbury is in camp- at^Stewart's' Gully, -and is showing good,promise. The coarse at the. gully/is about four miles long, so that the. crew ,tows about eight miles every eyening.; -The average, weight of the crew is 12st3 3-81b, and the" average age of ■ member's is-23J-years;----•Unfavourable weather conditions have hindered the. training.'of "the"Southland eight, and. great difficulty is being experienced in: finding time for prae- v tice spins ml the evening's, as dusE is S falling earlier every, day, states the Southland _ "Times:" It will be Tegrettable if sufficient train-ing cannot, be done, as this is the province's first1 entry in thW important race, the result of which'is being eagerly awaited, by followers of- rowing throughout' the; Dominion; Even if -this; the first, startt in the eight-par 'championship is not? a 5 successful one for Southland !(and, at present, prospects are not very bright), fhe experience gained dn; this branch^ of rowing will be of inestimable value to the younger.'jnembers, who will, in all probability, form the nucleus of - future crews.- ..',-.-..