NEWS & EVENTS Tony moves to Rowing New Zealand
Mathematics teacher and former rowing coach Tony O’Connor, who went on leave in April to coach the New Zealand men’s eight, has resigned from College to work full- time as coach of the 12-man New Zealand rowing squad.
Old Boys James Lassche and coxswain Sam Bosworth are members of the squad.
seen as medal contenders at Tokyo, so we will need to be first or second in Switzerland next June in order to qualify.” As a former international rower, Tony is no stranger to such pressure, having faced it twice – successfully – himself, when rowing for his native Ireland in the early 1990s. Tony represented Ireland at nine world championships and at the 1996 Atlanta and 2000 Sydney Olympics. Tony first came to College in 2005 to teach Mathematics and as Head of Rowing. He stayed until 2012,
“So three of us have College connections,” says Tony, who will work with the squad, based at Lake Karapiro near Cambridge, until at least June next year. At that point the eight will go to Switzerland in a bid to qualify for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. The eight narrowly missed out on gaining Olympic selection when competing at the world rowing championships in Austria in September. “We were sixth. We missed by just a second or two, but we have been
then had a few years in Australia, before returning to Christchurch in early 2015, when he was again employed as a Mathematics teacher, rowing coach and Condell’s Housemaster. As coach of the NZ rowing eight, his task now is to “get these guys going three or four seconds faster than they are, and then we’ll go to Tokyo and aim to win.” With the squad training two or three times a day, six days a week, it won’t be for lack of trying. We wish Tony all the best – and success – for his new adventure.
Christ’s College Canterbury
78
Made with FlippingBook - Online Brochure Maker