WITH the OARSMEN

Sun (Auckland), Volume 1, Issue 112, 2 August 1927, Page 7

WITH the OARSMEN

BY

“RIGGER”

A DAY’S GOOD WATER , Sunday was a day of ideal rowing | water and there was activity at practically every shed. _ The Auckland Rowing Club had | three crews out, including two pro- , visional regatta crews getting into trim for next season. R. Stacey is stroking the heavy maiden crew and K. Ross, late of Hamilton, and now in a bank at Newmarket, will have the stroke oar in the junior VETERANS AT WEST END Veteran oarsmen turned out in force for the West End Club’s prize night last Thursday. G. Barrett was there, to present the much prized Barrett Cup. _ _ Other old hands were E. Madden, of Waitemata, S. O. Clark, G. Norden and a number of other non-active supporters. Club colours were much in evidence and no prizewinners were prouder than the coxswains, with the newly-acquired glory of black and white velvet caps. WEST END’S GALLERY Newcomers to the West End shed find the historic portrait gallery of absorbing interest. Most rowing clubs show a proud array of photographed celebrities, but West End is out of the ordinary, in that it has so many that some are on the sloping ceiling, inclined at an agle favourable for inspection. One interesting feature is a panel recording the club’s gratitude to the Auckland Sawmillers’ Association, which furnished timber, free of cost, for the restoration of the building after a storm had wrecked it a few years ago. TOUGH VARSITY CREWS The scornful colonial theory that English rowing men do not row hard is laughed at by Mr. C. McCorkindale, Waitemata, who returned 10 days ago from abroad. The Oxford-Cambridge race, he says, is the most gruelling test imaginable, and the interest and enthusiasm that it raises are astonishing. The gruelling three and a-quar-ter-mile course finds weaknesses in the toughest oarsmen, and the man who stays the distance must have a fighting heart, beside stout sinews. Mr. McCorkindale was one of -the Milne and Choyce crew which won the inter-house cup, a bright feature instituted in local rowing. JOHNSON AND AMSTERDAM A strong candidate for any crew that is chosen, T. Johnson, Waitemata, should be able to renew old acquaintances if he goes to Europe with a New Zealand Olyrn-

pic eight next year. Johnson is a Swede by birth (Christian name, Taage) and he sustains the Scandinavian rowing tradition. As bow in the All Black eight that won so well in Australia, he was one of the strongest oars in the boat. Before coming to New Zealand he had several years at sea, and has not

seen his homeland lor a long time. But it is no great distance from Amsterdam to Stockholm and “Johnnie” may yet be making the trip.

SCANDINAVIAN BLOOD Johnson’s success as stroke of the Waitemata senior four, which was beaten so narrowly in the championships at Picton, calls to mind the part men of Scandinavian descent have played in New Zealand rowing. Outstanding examples are those durable fellow's, the Heggluns, who began winning championships 2.0 years or so ago. They won their red coats at Napier in 1906, and in 1921 were still rowing together. C. Hegglun was one of the New Zealand eight which won the Sun Cup (Sydney) in 1925. Others of the same crew were Sandos, Sergison and Johnson. It must be the Viking strain. STEVENSON IN TRAINING W. A. Stevenson is neglecting no opportunity of getting practice, in view of his forthcoming trip to Melbourne. At llenley-on-Yarra, meeting such

scullers as Pearce, N.S.W., and T. D. A. Collett, England. ; Stevenson w i 11 need all his form and fitness. On Sunday, showing nice blade work, he pulled well up the harbour. It was a rare occasion for good sculling, as the water was very smooth. Stevenson intends to put in a month’s training, if possible, in Mel-

bourne before the race, *so lie and trainer W. Logan will probably be leaving Auckland late in September. OARSMAN INJURED The Auckland Club may suffer a loss through an injury to A. Andrews, who was No. 3 in the heavy maiden crew last season and would have occupied the same place next summer. Last week Andrews gashed his forearm very severely and on Saturday underwent an operation in order that severed tendons could be re-united. If permanent injury results he may not be able to row again. * * * WAITEMATA BUSY The Waitemata Club continues to sustain its reputation for busy weekends and on Sunday a good muster was in attendance, to take advantage of the beautiful water. The Waitemata was as smooth as a millpond. The senior four was out, with Cairns in No. 3 seat, in place of Brooker, who was an absentee. No further word of the Melbourne trip has yet been received. At present the whole thing is in the air. ODDS AND ENDS The North Shore Club is not neglecting its opportunities during the winter Every Sunday members turn out to help with repairs to plant, or else to get out for practice spins. The Auckland Rowing Club’s eightoar boats furnish an interesting contrast, in that one is stroked from the right and one from the left. Like all the rest of the Auckland Club’s plant, j they are swivel-rigged, but one is out 1 of commission just at present.