WITH the OARSMEN

Sun (Auckland), Volume 1, Issue 18, 12 April 1927, Page 7

WITH the OARSMEN

“RIGGER”

BY

EVENTS ON THE WATER The end of an entirely satisfactory season sees rowing in Auckland in a satisfactory condition. The standard of oarsmanship on the Waitemata is now more uniformly high than it has been for several seasons. Hitherto one or two clubs have held a monopoly of prominence and prowess, but now there is a more even distribution of the available talent. THE SINGLES TITLE Auckland oarsmen must be gratified at Stephenson’s continued success. The Waitemata sculler is head and shoulders above any other amateur in the country, and beyond that it is doubtful if there is a professional who could beat him. St. Clair and Molesworth, the Hamilton pair, and H. Dyke, a promising Wanganui stripling, are the only scullers who just at present possess claims to prominence. Dyke, who had a skiff built at Putney last year, has been under the tuition of W. Webb, the former world’s champion, but he is as yet a clumsy waterman, and could not manage better than a second to St. Clair at Wellington, where Stephenson was not competing. Meanwhile Stephenson was improving the shining hour by practising at Picton, the scene of the impending championships, and when that important fixture materialised he won with ease. AN OLYMPIC CANDIDATE Among its candidates for the next Olympic games New Zealand has no man of greater promise than Stephenson, and the Aucklander should be the first man chosen to wear this country’s colours at the great international contests. Such is his enthusiasm that Stephenson, though by no means a wealthy man, buys each year a new skiff. Some of those for which he has no further use have been acquired by other aspiring scullers, and the good boats thus distributed have helped materially to raise the standard of sculling. It is a high tribute to Stephenson’s ability and physique that he, a saltwater sculler, has become the champion of the Dominion, and an infinitely better man than men who have had more opportunity on sheltered waters. AUCKLAND'S RECOVERY A feature of the season now drawing to a close has been the Auckland Rowing Club’s return to prominence. After a dull period the club appears to be steadily regaining prestige, and by running second to St. George’s in the Mason Cup race it placed emphasis upon its recovery. More members and better plant might help things along. The red and black colours borne by the Auckland Club are historic in New Zealand rowing. They were chosen by both Auckland and the Wanganui Rowing Club, a very old-established institution. Not only in wanting red and black, but also in their preference for hooped singlets of similar design, were the two clubs single-minded, and finally the New Zealand Rowing As-

sociation had to decide ■which of the clubs was entitled to the hoops. Auckland won, and Wanganui now wears a red singlet crossed by a diagonal black band. ’VARSITY OARSMEN A proposal that future ’Varsity sporting contests should include a rowing event is invested with particular interest because of/ the successes achieved at Southern regattas this season by four Wellington ’Varsity oarsmen. Rowing under the colours of the Star Boating Club, this finely-moulded quartet has carried all before it in youths’ races. At Wanganui they won easily, to repeat the success at Wellington, and at the championships at Picton they once again romped home. While these lusty youths are associated, the men who ply the blades for other halls of learning are up against a problem. MORE REGATTAS Since the war the Auckland clubs have been powerful factors at every Northern regatta, but they have made their presence felt very little in the South.

But for regular excursions by Waitemata, and an occasional burst by Hamilton, the great rowing centres of the southern part of the North Island might have been forgiven for the assumption that rowing up this way was dead. The suggestion that a bigger part should be played in the regattas in the South —if only for the reason that important titles often depend on them—should automatically commend itself to the Auckland clubs. The success and conspicuous ability of this season’s St. George’s Club youths’ crew furnish an excellent sample. All youths’ races at Southern regattas were captured with ease by Star (Wellington), but those who have seen both crews in action —and this critic is among them —believe confidently that St. George’s would have beaten Star. By not sending its youths South t’he St. George’s Club lost a chance of lifting a championship. EIGHT-OAR HONOURS While the two b. and b. eights recently entrusted to Auckland by the New Zealand Rowing Association are lying idle in the Waitemata and St. George’s sheds, those placed in the hands of the Wellington and Wanganui clubs are being given frequent outings.

Eight-oar racing is the most spectacular form which the sport takes, and to the oarsman there is no thrill equal to that communicated when a lithe and eager craft leaps in response to the pressure of eight swinging blades. For these reasons the eights now in Auckland should be taken out for competitive purposes whenever possible. The N.Z.A.R.A. did not intend them to moulder in the sheds. Their function is to popularise rowing, and people will flock to see eightoar races where they would not spare a moment for fours or pair-oars.