Fr. Earl Crotty SM, who taught at St Bede's from 1960 to 1971, looks back at his time as school rowing coach.

1960 was the second year after my ordination as a priest and I was very much a junior on the teaching staff at St Bede's. In the last term of 1960, I was approached by student Phil Kingan to keep a coaching eye on his Double Scull entry to the Christchurch Secondary Schools Regatta just a few weeks away. I agreed. He was partnered with Denis Mullany. Phil was aware that I had come from a Rowing family in Whanganui, and that I was a member. of the Union Boat Club there. Kingan and Mullany won the Double Sculls at the Schools' Regatta. I had no experience as a rower but had spent some years as a youngster driving the rowers' coaching boat for world-renowned coach and rower, Clarrie Healy. I had learned something of his methods of coaching.

Phil and Denis were using rowing equipment from the Avon Rowing Club, newly-sited on Kerrs Reach. It was for me a 15-16 kilometre bike ride from St Bede's. The rowing boarders and I had a late tea put aside. It was here that I came into contact with Ted Lindstrom, NZ Rowing Pair-oar Champion 1946- 47,1950, a great Catholic sportsman and coach. He agreed to help me with coaching St Bede's rowers, and, during the week would often take time off his work as Manager of the Blenheim Road Service Station to come down and help me with coaching. I would often go down to his home in Weston Road of a Friday night and plan our rowing strategy for the next week.

In 1961 St Bede's boated a winning Intermediate Four at the Schools’ Regatta. Fred Murray (stroke), Bernard Maguire, Mark Brownlee, and Pat McQuinn, and Chris Brosnahan (cox). In 1962, St Bede's Rowing came of age with a thrilling victory in Schools’ Eights race over Christ's College and Boys' High School by Fred Murray (stroke), Phil Kingan, Murray Giera, Graeme Maguire, Pat Quinn, Bill Sutherland, Leo Tooman, Peter Higinbottom, and Chris Brosnahan (cox).

Recognition of Rowing as a St Bede's sport was not easy to achieve. The College never saw us practising, and, only on a Finals Day, racing, noted for the Boarders on bikes following the race on the road alongside Kerr's Reach their cheers were a secret weapon, the other College supporters would say. There would be about 20-24 boys rowing each year from the Avon Rowing Club, and, thanks to George Lindstrom, Ted's brother, funds were raised to purchase a new Eight boat in 1965. Of course, it was named ‘Bede’. For me, the success of St Bede's Rowers at the 2023 Maadi Cup Regatta, winning the top Eights, Fours and Pairs was a most satisfying achievement for me, among many others, of course.