Memories power back at 60s college team reunion

LIKE RIDING A BIKE: The team get back into their old routine, 50 years after winning Maadi Cup.091113WCRCWCS - REUNION03

Time dulled little of the old boys' skills on the Whanganui River on Saturday afternoon as the Wanganui Collegiate rowing eight, who won the 1963-64 Maadi Cup regattas celebrated the 50th anniversary of their school boy triumphs.

Now all in their mid-60s, with a handful of them having never been back in a boat since those heady days, the men took to the water under the guidance of current WCS coxswain Emily Gray for a short run both with and against the tide.

Proudly watching the reunion from the shoreline was their mentor Peter Irvine, who took over the rowing programme at WCS in 1961, making this group of then-teenagers his first successful crew at the beginning of an outstanding schools coaching career.

Irvine recalled when he arrived at WCS that one of the first meetings was to discuss closing down the rowing programme.

He convinced the powers-that-be to not only keep rowing on the books but to purchase a new eight boat, from which the Collegiate team he nurtured would flourish.

It is a far cry from today's WCS shed on Somme Parade with its multitude of rowing boats of various descriptions for both training and competitions.

"I'd hate to think of the money in here now," Irvine said.

Still, it's probably better the staff that saved the programme were not aware of all the goings-on with the rowers at that time.

Irvine told a story of bringing one team back on the train from an event at Lake Karapiro, only to discover they had gotten boozed.

As this was the "dark ages" when the cane was still in practice, Irvine gave them a simple choice for their indiscretion.

"I said, 'right, you can have six each or I can take you to the principal'."

Given a trip to the principal would likely mean being banned from an upcoming Maadi Cup regatta, the crew all opted for the lash in private.

In the inaugural 1963 triumph on the Whanganui River, Irvine said the race was held by just squeezing nine boats abreast, as an Auckland principal of the time decreed school boys should not compete twice in one day.

The following year, Irvine said the other coaches said "stuff it" to that ruling and made sure there were heats and finals held on Lake Karapiro, with the WCS eight duly retaining their crown.

A number of them went on to sporting successes after school.

Chris Nilsson was an Olympic rower and later national coach, Ollie Gilbert earned the Red Coat at the Wellington Rowing Club, John Thurlow also coached the WCS rowing eight, while John Dickie was a Wanganui rugby representative.

Other team members at the reunion were Ian Carnell, Noel Hendrey, Rod Trott, Arch Barclay and John Nicholls.