ROWING: Let's work together urges NZ legend | Hawkes Bay Sport | Surfing, Rugby, Soccer, Football, Cricket in Hawkes Bay

SHANE HURNDELL

Establishing a strong relationship with both polytechs on the East Coast will be a New Year resolution for East Coast Rowing Association's development officer Dave Rodger.

"Obviously our region's elite rowers have to spend time based at Lake Karapiro. If the polytechnics can accommodate our rowers by integrating them into their sporting courses it will help us develop rowing in the region.

"It will also mean our top rowers will be available for their Hawke's Bay, Gisborne or Wairoa clubs more," said Rodger who has completed his first 10 weeks in the role after finishing his job as a New Zealand Rowing Academy coach.

Rodger, who is New Zealand's most capped male rower, intends to meet representatives of the Taradale-based Eastern Institute of Technology and Gisborne-based Tairawhiti Polytechnic early next year.

"We could establish a formula for other minor sports," he said.

Another of his priorities is setting up a "job bank" for rowers from the region who are tertiary students and return home for the summer.

"One of their main problems is a lack of jobs and if we start working on the bank now it will operate from next summer," Rodger said.

"Some of these rowers could also work as coaches and this could help solve their job problems."

A member of the world title-winning New Zealand men's eight crews in 1982 and 83 and 1976 Montreal Olympics bronze medallist, Rodger attended the international rowing coaches conference in Turkey last month. He said he learnt "a few more things" to assist him with the implementation of a high performance programme on the East Coast.

As part of his Prime Minister Scholarship projects, Rodger also studied the high performance programmes at Bath and Cambridge Universities.

"It was great to look at their systems and learn things not only take our existing rowers to a higher level but also to boost our rowing numbers," he said.

In addition to his commentating role at yesterday's Clive-hosted annual Hawke's Bay Rowing Club New Year's regatta, Rodger was able to keep a close eye on many of the youngsters he is coaching.

He pointed out the New Zealand Rowing calendar is shorter by almost a month this summer so that there is less disruption for rowers who are university students.

"This is an experimental thing and I'm not sure whether it's good or bad ... time will tell," he added.