Obituary: Eugene Crotty was a Whanganui sporting legend

Eugene Crotty represented New Zealandat the 1958 Empire Games. Photo/ Ana Maria Funerals Hamilton

It was fitting that 85-year-old former Whanganui champion oarsman, teacher and broadcaster Eugene Crotty should stipulate that he lay in a light blue coffin at his funeral service in Hamilton.

The Wanganui Union Boat Club, for whom he rowed when selected to represent New Zealand at the 1958 Cardiff Empire Games, had been a major part of his active sporting career.

Both his parents, Eugene Snr and Christine, were life members of Union, as was Eugene himself at the time of his death, he had been the guest speaker at the club's 125th jubilee in 2002, his brother Fr Earl Crotty was on the club's 100th jubilee committee in 1977, and a cousin Frank Crotty had also been a Union NZ representative.

With the Crotty family home being a stone's throw away from the light blue coloured Union Boat Club, and the massive Crotty family contribution to the club, it is understandable that Eugene should decide on a blue coffin.

On top of the coffin was a Red Cap that Eugene received when he filled-in as a very young coxswain for the visiting Port Chalmers crew that won the premier coxed fours at the 1946 New Zealand championships on the Whanganui River.

In addition to receiving his official NZ Red Cap Eugene was given £1 by each of the grateful Port Chalmers rowers, a generous gesture in those days.

Eugene was to win a NZ Red Coat – awarded to national senior winning oarsmen – when Union, coached by the legendary Clarrie Healey, won the eights at the 1958-59 NZ championships on Lake Waihola.

Eugene Crotty was the sporting voice of Whanganui during the l960's and 1970's. Photo / Ana Maria Funerals Hamilton

Also in the winning crew was Peter Aitchson (now of Wellington) who attended Eugene's funeral last week.

Aitchison also went to Wales with the NZ four in 1958 as did fellow Union member the late Graeme Moran.

The travelling crew members had suffered influenza problems including Eugene who was the reserve with Moran filling-in as a late replacement.

Eugene was in 19 winning Union four and eight-oar champion crews, including the Whanganui Head of the River eights, between 1956 and 1960 under coach Healey who won eight NZ titles as an oarsman, eight as a coach and was a champion NZ coach between the 1932 Los Angeles and 1956 Melbourne Olympics.

Fr Earl Crotty, who conducted his brother's funeral mass before a packed church in Hamilton last week, was also a Union oarsman and a champion schoolboy coach during his years at St Bede's in Christchurch.

He is a life member of the NZ Secondary Schools' Rowing Association as was the late Peter Irvine (Collegiate School).

Eugene Crotty was educated at Marist Brothers and St Augustine's College (1949-50) in Whanganui before two years as a boarder at St Pat's Silverstream and then at the Wellington Teacher's College.

Returning to Whanganui he taught at Queen's Park, where he met his future wife Dawn Evans (a hockey representative), PN Intermediate, Hiwinui (Bunnythorpe), South Makirikiri and was principal at Westmere School, coaching sports teams at the various schools, before he moved to the Waikato in 1975.

As a Master of Education he was on the staff of the Waikato Teachers' College, then Academic Director at the Waikato Polytech and retired as Deputy Principal of Waikato University.

Eugene was the sporting voice of Whanganui during the l960's and 1970's, conducting Saturday evening and Sunday morning radio session on station 2XA which started in 1949.

Two of his most memorable broadcasts were in the 1960s – an interview with Peter Snell the morning after he broke the world one mile record (3m 54.4s at Cooks Gardens on January 27th 1962) and a commentary of the 1965 mile when Jurgen May upset Kenyan Olympic champion Kipchoge Keino.

The Snell interview, conducted at Cooks Gardens, was commissioned by New York Newsreel Theatres and Eugene regrets that he did not keep the £4 payment cheque as a memento of the greatest race in Whanganui's sporting history.

Three years later he broadcast the May-Keino race when the East German journalist set a world grass track record (3m 53.8s) that still stands.

It rounded off a great year for May who had set four other records that season – world 1000 metres, European 1500m and East German 800m and one mile.

Pre-race favourite Keino (3:54.9s) was a multiple Olympic and world champion and record holder.

Eugene Crotty, with his wide knowledge of sport, was kept busy as an announcer at local events including Whanganui representative rugby fixtures and broadcasting weekly main club games from Spriggens Park.

He is survived by his wife Dawn and children Anna and Sarah.