A CHALLENGE

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 806, 29 October 1929, Page 14

A CHALLENGE

West End’s Veteran Oarsmen LOOKING FOR RACES Four active oarsmen whose ages total 214 years, all members of the W est End Rowing Club, are willing to challenge any other club crew of anything approaching the same aggregate age. The men are:—"W. H. "Conway, aged 57; A. M. Spencer, aged 55; A. Clarke, aged 51; and R. Notton. aged 51. These men all row in club trials at West End, and one of them, Clarke, will probably find a seat in the light-weight maiden regatta crew. Clarke is well

known as a sprinter who is still quite before the public eye. W. H. Conway, “father” of the crew, has been rowing for West End for many years and now has four sons members of the club. Spencer is another man with an athletic record. He is said to have weight lifting feats to his credit.

There are two or three emergencies for the crew, men who have a year or so to go before attaining the half century:—A. E. Collins, aged 48; A. Hunter, aged 49; and N. Cossey, aged 48. Hiscussing the challenge yesterday, Mr. Conway said, “Yes, we can pick on those three youngsters if there happens to be a vacant seat in the crew.” The challenge, it is understood, is to any crew approaching the same total age. It was not specified that the four men should be of the same age. Consequently it would be possible for any other club to put in a crew composed of two octogenarians and a couple of comparative children of 30. Perhaps it will be done.