Canterbury Rowing Association
This article was omitted from the November 2018 issue of OarSport in error.
Canterbury Regional Review
The 2018/19 rowing season kicked off in October with the Inter provincial Championships, held in Twizel.
We were blessed with amazing weather all weekend, with blue skies and no wind. Hopefully this is a sign of things to come for the summer ahead.
The Canterbury Team consisted of the following:
Open Women
Christine Baker-Burns
Helen Gunn
Ivana Giacon
Kristen Wing
Coach: Dave Hatton
U20 Women
Veronica Wall
Mollie Gibso
Emma Stagg
Marion Hardwick
Kate Harris
Sophie Bowden
Sophie Gowans
Kristen Lang
Tim Heritage (cox)
Coach: Matt Lilley
Open Men
Isaac Zarifeh
Chris Everitt
Jacob Mangles
Isaac Robertson
Coach: Stu Wade
U20 Men
Zack Rumble
Murphy Walters
James Davidson
Jamie Hindle-Daniels
Blake McGuigan
Logan Anderson
Liam Parker
George Rutledge (cox)
Coach: Oliver Tyro
The interprovincial event is a great regatta for member of different schools and clubs to come together and row together.The event has a great-relaxed atmosphere and is a great way to kick off the season. Going forward the Canterbury Rowing Association (CRA) will look to strengthen our interprovincial team, selecting multiple boats in each class and use the event to bridge the gap between school and club rowing. Watch out Otago, we are coming for the win next year!
Members in Canterbury can expect nominations to open earlier next year with structured training available all winter – in conjunction with RPC winter development camps.
Results from the 2018 Regatta
1st Place
Opens Women’s Pair
U20 Women’s Quad
Women’s U20 Single #1
Men’s U20 Double #1
Women’s U20 Double #1
Women’s Open Eight
2nd Place
Men’s Open Pair
Men’s U20 Coxless Four
Women’s U20 Coxless Four
Men’s Open Double Sculls
Men’s U20 Coxless Pair
Men’s Open Coxless Four
Women’s U20 Pair
Women’s Open Quad
Men’s U20 Double #2
Men’s Open Eight
3rd Place
U20 Coxless Quad
Opens Women’s Pair
Women’s Open Double
Men’s U20 Single
CRA AGM
During September we held our 117th Annual General Meeting at the Avon Clubs. During the meeting two individual were granted life membership to the CRA; Warren Blazey and Dan Stevens. We congratulate you for you service to rowing in our region.
Dan Steven
Dan joined the Timaru Rowing Club in the 1959/60 season. He rowed competitively for the club for 4 years gaining national titles along the way, before moving to Christchurch to train for the Association Interprovincial Eights to be rowed in Wellington in 1964. He joined Union Rowing Club and was selected for the South Island Eight. Whilst in Christchurch he both rowed and coached, was the Timaru delegate on the Canterbury Rowing Association, and was a selector for the CRA. During this time Dan was involved with the shift of the Union Club into the Canterbury shed, and the formation of the Leander
Club to administer this building.
Moving back to Timaru in 1970 he helped move the Timaru Club from the harbour to Saltwater Creek, and then in 1980 build the new shed. Dan continued to be the Timaru delegate on the CRA, travelling to meetings when coaching allowed. He coached with success for many years until volunteering at Lake Ruataniwha meant that he could no longer do justice to the crews. He has been Club Captain and President of Timaru many times, and in their centennial year of 1974 he was made a life member of the club. Dan became an Umpire during the sixties, officiating first at Kerr’s Reach and later at Lake Ruataniwha and National regattas. He gave up on water work in the last few years due to health but still does onshore officiating tasks. He was involved in the formation of Lake
Ruataniwha and was the Course Manager there for 12 years, spending all his spare time and holidays doing work around the course. He still attends working bees thus fulfilling the CRA’s obligations as a stakeholder in South Island Rowing (SIR). Many examples of Dan’s input can be seen around the venue.
Warren Blazey
Warren has 61 years involvement in the sport of rowing, joining the Avon Rowing Club in 1956 at the original club site. After a successful career in rowing, he carried on his involvement in the sport as a volunteer around the Avon Rowing Club holding the position of President and is a life member of the club. He has volunteered at Lake Ruataniwha since it opened in 1985, regularly attending working bees, and is always generous with his advice. He hasn’t been missing from many of the regattas that have been staged there.
When Warren gained his umpires licence he specialised in starting and has started regattas at Kerr’s Reach, Lake Ruataniwha, and Lake Hood. He has many times held the position of Chief Starter including national regattas. He is a very valuable member of the Association’s officiating team. The CRA as a stake-holder in SIR, is indebted to Warren for upholding its obligations at many working bees as well as regattas at the southern venue.
Following his retirement in the 1990s, Warren became responsible for boat transport for both Avon Rowing Club and the CRA. He has driven continuously since then and still delivers club, school, university and provincial boats around the country. When the CRA is organising anything, Warren is a dedicated and reliable volunteer who helps to make the events succeed. He was at the forefront of the CRA shed dismantle and re-erection at Kerr’s Reach and can always be relied on to give practical assistance with any rowing undertaking. No job is too hard or complicated for him to complete.