WITH the OARSMEN

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 232, 20 December 1927, Page 18

WITH the OARSMEN

BY

“RIGGER”

WEEK-END BLOW The hard blow over the week-end compelled oarsmen on the city side to cling to sheltered waters, and North Shore crews had to seek refuge at Cheltenham. With the approach of* the regatta season trials will for a time lose their importance, and from now on principal rowing interest will be centred upon the Tauranga regatta. PROVINCIAL SELECTOR Mr. T. Marshall’s appointment as provincial selector places on the shoulders of the Waitemata vice-captain the responsibility—undoubtedly a heavy one of placing

on the water the best possible crew to represent Auckland in the forthcoming eight-oar contest for the Hallyburton Johnstone Cup. His association with Auckland rowing over a long period eminently qualifies Mr.. Marshall to undertake the task. He was rowing

for Waitemata before the war. and while abroad on service he continued to follow the sport. Until two or three seasons ago he took an oar in Waitemata events, and since then has been associated with the selection of crews to represent his club. YOUTHFUL SENIOR

V. Hargreaves, bow in the St. George’s senior four, must be the youngest senior oarsman in New Zealand. Though he is qualified as a senior because he has won the requisite successes as a junior, he is still

eligible as a youth because he is not yet 21. Hence lie will this season be rowing bow in the champion fours at Wanganui—if he can get the necessary leave —and at the same time will, throughout the summer, be stroking the St. George’s youths’ crew. * * * BLENHEIM STRIPLING Among the select few who, like Hargreaves, have rowed senior while still eligible for youths’ races, the case of W. J. Girling, now M.P. for Wairau, is outstanding. Girling was bow in the famous crew which beat Waitemata in the champion fours at Napier in 1908, J. M. Jackson being the stroke, and the Hegglun brothers the two other members in the boat. Mr. Girling’s Parliamentary duties do not prevent him from still following rowing with close interest. * * * ST. GEORGE’S SUCCESS SL George’s had such success in the Mcllwraith Cup race that members hope the winning crew will this season be able to complete the double by winning the Smith Shield as well. Hargreaves, the two, is still a youth, and the other three only just miss being able to row as youths again this season.

OARSMEN AND THEIR COLOURS The blazer habit is spreading among Auckland oarsmen, and both Waitemata and St. George’s have adopted standard designs which will in future eliminate the expression of occasionally eccentric individual taste in the selection of these garments. Good taste and an eye for the distinctive have been shown by both clubs, and at outside regattas their representatives will be easily recognised. Nearly all clubs have blazers of one sort or another, but not many have adopted standards, which may be copyrighted for the protection of members. Among outside clubs which have long had specified “colours” are Star, Wanganui and Canterbury Rowing Clubs. A POTTED BIOGRAPHY OF DICK ARNST, EX-WORLD’S CHAMPION

Hick Arnest, champion sculler of the world, was not merely a prodigiously powerful waterman, but he was a personality as well. The family home is at Tai Tapu, 12 miles

from Christchurch, where there is no rowing water nearer than Lake Ellesmere, an exposed sheet of water, that never tempted the Arnst brothers on to its surface in anything J less fragile than a dinghy. As a matter of fact Dick Arnst hardly knew what a. single scull

, looked like until he was past 20, and had already achieved fame as a crack cyclist, at which engagement he and his brother Jack secured ample practice when riding to and fro between Tai Tapu and Cheviot, where they were working on farms.

Both were extremely successful cyclists, winning many big events on both sides of the Tasman, and it was while in the flush of these successes that Dick, perhaps impelled unconsciously by his Norse stock, cast about lor other worlds to conquer, and selected sculling. In his first race he ignominiously fell out of his boat, but he was never a quitter, and in December, 1908, he won the world’s title from the Wanganui idol, W. Webb. He defended it five times, once on the Zambesi, in Africa, where he beat Ernest Barry, uncle of Goodsell’s challenger. Barry reversed the verdict on the Thames in 1912. but Arnst got it back as a quickly-claimed legacy in 1922. Immediately after that, a somewhat pathetic figure, he was beaten in hollow fashion by Darcy Hadfield, and since then has appeared in nothing more spectacular than various pigeonshooting matches, in which he is generally in the money. When training to meet Barry, the first time, Arnst became a very successful hunter of African big game. In addition he was a moderately skilful boxer, and is reputed to have been at one time divided between sculling and boxing as to which sport he should make the route to world’s championship honours.

HISTORY RECALLED S. B. Rutledge, who was a member of the A.R.A. party which recently inspected possible harbour courses, was formerly a North Shore oarsman, but for a time rowed in a West End crew which captured the inter-provin-cial championship on the Waikato in 1921. J. I. Mcßoberts, the stroke of the crew, was, like Rutledge, a membey of some of the service crews rowing during and after the war, and the other men in the West End boat were F. Taylor and A. Fraser. Their win in the inter-provincial fours was from Union, whose three, E. Ryland, had collapsed earlier in the day during a gruelling struggle with Picton, stroked by E. T. Hegglun. CHAMPIONSHIPS AT WANGANUI A strong entry is expected for the champion fours, to be rowed at Wanganui on February 25. The holders of the title, Otago, are almost certain to defend it, and there will be crews from two Auckland clubs, as well as from Hamilton and among the Southern clubs Union, Wanganui, Aramoho, Wanganui R.C., Petone, and perhaps Star, Wellington, will be represented In this field the outstanding crews, on paper, should be Waitemata, Union, and Otago,' and on last year’s form the title should go to Union. Healey has young, powerful men behind him, and on his home course will be a solid proposition. % # * SYDNEY VARSITY VISIT The Sydney Varsity visit, first negotiated when the New Zealand University footballers were in Sydney last winter, is at present hanging fire. The Sydney men wanted to come over round Chirstmas, but no suitable dates could be arranged in New Zealand, and Easter was suggested instead. This

date, however, may not meet the convenience of the student oarsmen from the other side and until further advice is received from Sydney the arrangement to date can be corsidered a lockWEST END TOILERS

W. N. Bright and J. Skinner, who turned out at stroke and three in the West End Mcllwraith Cup boat, failed to repeat their suc-

cesses of former years, but until the closing stages of the race were well in the picture. The inference is that they found the course rather long and their wind rather short, and that, with Felton and Dowling behind them, they will do much better when they have had more training.

Bright and Skinner have been associated in some capital performances, and Skinner is undoubtedly one of the finest oarsmen on the harbour.