Champs in doubt after dates clash

David Ogilvie | Tuesday, February 2, 2010 14:00

This weekend's scheduled two-day Wanganui rowing championships are in severe doubt - and could be cancelled - as a result of a regatta date clash with the Wellington Rowing Association.

Local president Bob Evans says a tele-conference was to be held last night
to make a final decision, but if the event is called off, it will probably be replaced by a "mini" event on Sunday to give local crews badly needed racing because of the  approaching national championships starting February 16.

Wanganui and Wellington held a joint championships on the Whanganui River last year and Evans says there were discussions after that suggesting a repeat this year.

But at the start of this season Wellington scheduled their own championships for the February 6-7 date - and apparently has done the same with their secondary schools championships on March 6-7, the date of the similar Wanganui event.

"We are probably not going to have a regatta this weekend. With the nationals this season starting on February 16 it's messed things up," Evans said. "And for reasons I can't determine the Wellington Rowing Association - we discussed this matter with them at the end of last season, but at the beginning of this season they elected to do that and set their regatta for the same date as ours - and we had set the date last year.

"We have got to sort this thing out - we're too close a neighbours to hold regattas on the same day. They'll have a nothing regatta and we'll have a nothing regatta.

"So what we will probably end-up doing is run some event on Sunday. It will be pretty low-key, but at least it will be some racing for the local crews."

Wellington Rowing Association official Colin Shields, when contacted by the Chronicle, said: "I don't want to make any comment, thank you," and terminated his side of the call.

Evans said discussions were being held aimed at salvaging the Wanganui secondary schools championships.

But on a more positive note, some results from the Cambridge Town Cup regatta at Lake Karapiro over the weekend have already shown the value of the new Wanganui Rowing Academy.

An Academy under-18 girls eight headed Collegiate's top crew by some three lengths in their heat of the event on Saturday - but bad weather washed out the final section on Sunday.

Collegiate had been through a hard week's rowing camp so clearly did not have their usual edge, but the combined Aramoho-Union eight of Kirsty Wilson, Abbey Stevenson, Bailey McIndoe, Clare Jordan, Laila Murphy, Sophie Wright, Leith Walker, Michaela Scott and cox Keegan Watty looked impressive, says Aramoho spokesman Pat Spriggens. Coach Ian Weenink was at the Canterbury championships with Central RPC crews.

"The girls looked very good against Collegiate and Saint Kentigern, they were nearly three lengths out in front of them. They're all academy members, they've been out in an eight a few times but they also train in other boats," Spriggens said. "It was good to watch, just a bit of a shame they didn't get to a final."

Aramoho U16 boys Kyle Malone and Gus Pawson won their A final against a big field in the double, while Stevens/Jordan were second in the U18 double.

The Aramoho girls U18 quad (Wilson/Jordan/Stevenson/McIndoe) were also second in their A final, and the novice girls eight was third in their A final.