HAMILTON OARSMEN’S CHANCE

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 293, 2 March 1928, Page 11

HAMILTON OARSMEN’S CHANCE

ST. GEORGE’S BID FOR THE TITLE WASKATO CLUBS MAY SWEEP THE BOARD GREAT interest is centred on the New Zealand Championship Regatta, to be rowed at Wanganui to-morrow. Oarsmen from throughout the Dominion will be in competition for the “red coats,” that crowning achievement and honour of an oarsman’s career.

THE prospects are not particularly rosy for Auckland City crews, mainly through the Waitemata Club’s defection, but the province will be worthily , represented by the Hamilton Club. In fact, it is quite on the cards that this club will carry off all four of the championship events —senior fours, pair : oar, singles and double sculls. This feat would be unique, except for an occasion away back in the 9'o’s, when the Wellington Club carried all before it. Since that day no one club has ever managed to annex more than two championships in any year. Vital interest will centre on the senior fours. Here, however, the entries are, for a championship event, disappointingly small, and a lot of interest will be lost by the non-entry of the two outstanding crews of last year, Otago and Waitemata. Southerners would very much like to have seen the Canterbury Club’s crew entered, as the crew has had an unbeaten record this season, and won narrowly from Wairau at Wellington last Saturday. ST. GEORGE’S CREW Aucklanders will be mainly inter- j ested in the showing the St. George’s Club crew, which is making its debut j in the championship class. The crew j is young and heavy, and has of late ; had good coaching and is well boated, i and the men will probably be very fit. j The crew should, however, be having far longer on the course. Championships are seldom won without a week or more on the spot, with strict training. Further, the crew is not all it might be with regard to style. The crew will by this time have had a row or two on the course, and any improvement that can be made in its form over last week-end will make a big difference. The race should be a duel between Hamilton and Wanganui Union. Hamilton last year put out a crew stroked by Tasker, which was more or less a failure. In that crew Corlett, now rowing in the St. George’s combination, was bow. Since then Sandos has come back to the stroke seat, while St. Clair and Bayley again occupy the middle of the boat, and Waters has been placed in the bow. The crew is a powerful one, no less strong than that which won the championship at Hamilton three seasons back, and with the additional advantages of further experience and more combination will extend Wanganui Union’s crew to the utmost. The last championship saw Wanganui Union in third place, but rowing almost perfectly. They were

stroked by Healey and Kruse was m the bow seat. The other two positions were occupied by two other maiden oarsmen, Galbraith and Moss. The crew cannot but have improved. Reports from Wanganui, in fact, credit it with remarkable performances, and Wanganui will back solidly oln its chances. In the face of such opposition, other entrants will need to have improved considerably on previous showings. Wairau and Petone both suffered defeat at the Wellington regatta last Saturday, at the hands of Canterbury, although the result was apparently very close. The showing of these two crews against Hamilton should give a relative idea of the strength of the much-vaunted Southern combination. Petone was not an entry in last year’s championship, but had quite a strong senior crew at other events. At the same time Wairau had two crews entered, but both made very poor show-

ings. The present crew is almost the same as one of those entered last year and includes last year’s champion pair. PAIR OAR PROSPECTS Coming to the pair-oar event the entries total six, including Wairau, present champions, and Hamilton, run-ners-up. There is little to suggest that the relative merits of these two pairs have altered considerably, and Wairau were then convincingly superior, winning by some lengths, both the original race and a re-row following a protest. A new star has, however, loomed on the horizon in the Avon crew, which to date remains unbeaten, even after meeting Wairau last Saturday. If they can maintain this form at Wanganui two more “red” coats will be required. Entries in the single sculls are, at least, numerous. There is, however, little of outstanding merit. Auckland is represented by Davies, of the ISTorth Shore Club, who is young and very lit. Experience o n championship courses, with good coaching, will place him close up among the champions. Other entries from the province include St. Clair and Moles worth, of Hamilton, and Turner, of Tauranga. Turner met his match at the Wellington regatta in Bright, who evidently defeated him somewhat easily, and who, surprisingly, is not entered for the championship. St. Clair, however, has a royal chance. He has consistently sculled into second place behind Stevenson, of the Waitemata Club, who is present champion, but who is unable to compete this year. Although St. Clair is advancing in years, there is little to suggest that he has gone back at all, but he never seems quite to reach the standard of the crack Aucklander. His club-mate, Molesworth. has yet to show that he is good for a two-mile race, although he is very fast over a mile. He is there mainly to contest the double sculls. Among the other entrants, the three Wanganui men have all shown distinct promise, but have not previously competed in the championship class. Brough, the big stroke of the Otago champion crew, has not been heard of previously as a sculler, but if build and physique have anything to do with

it, he should be a champion. He would receive good coaching from J. McGrath, a former champion, and nobody would be surprised to see him, at his first essay, extend the better-known scullers. The remaining race in the championship class, the double sculls, has attracted better entries than in previous years. The present champions are St. Clair and Molesworth, of Hamilton, and from what has been seen of the others there seems little to extend them. Here again Hamilton are lucky in that no Waitemata crew is entered. Brough is partnered with McAra to represent Otago, but their capabilities , are untried. Avon follow the rather peculiar Christchurch custom of two men competing in both the pairs and i the doubles, but they also are unknown quantities in the doubles. It looks as s I if experience and combination will be | sufficient to # bring Hamilton home j again.