Rowing: Coaches expelled after spat

Mark Stallard was expelled from the rowing national championships. Photo / Greg Bowker

Two top coaches have been expelled from the rowing national championships after being involved in a heated exchange with officials.

Central Regional Performance Centre coach Mark Stallard and assistant Marion Horwell were both trespassed from the event at Lake Ruataniwha after becoming embroiled in an argument following the women's senior pair final.

Kirstyn Goodger and Robyn Munro crossed the line in front for the Wairau Rowing Club but, after an official saw one of the pair pouring the remainder of a water bottle into the boat, the pair was relegated to last.

Attempting to add weight to the boat before the official post-race weigh-in results in an automatic relegation, but Stallard and Horwell argued the act was neither deliberate nor unusual.

Both coaches were subsequently issued trespass noticed by South Island Rowing and banned for the remainder of the regatta, while a Rowing New Zealand spokesperson said the organisation did not condone the coaches' actions towards officials.

Stallard has coached some of the country's top junior rowers at recent world championships, while Horwell guided the New Zealand women's four to gold at the 2014 world championships.