Clarence Hadfield D'Arcy - Professional Sculling - World Champion

World Champion

In 1922 Hadfield turned professional and challenged the Christchurch sculler, Richard Arnst, for the latter's world championship. Each rower put up £200. The race was held on the Whanganui River on 5 January and Hadfield won by 10 lengths. Three months later, again on the Whanganui, he lost his title to the Australian Jim Paddon. After an unsuccessful attempt to regain the championship in Australia in 1923 he retired from serious competition. See also World Sculling Championship (Professional)

Hadfield was a quiet, modest man of medium height. He was regarded as a gallant sportsman: gracious in victory and in defeat. After his retirement he gave outstanding service to rowing as a coach,administrator and boat repairer. In 1956, at the age of 67, he rowed number three in a winning veterans' four at Ngaruawahia. His sons were also prominent members of the Waitemata Boating Club.

Hadfield remained involved many aspects of the sport until his death in 1964.

In 1990 Hadfield was inducted into the New Zealand Sports Hall of Fame.


Read more about this topic:  Clarence Hadfield D'Arcy, Professional Sculling

Famous quotes containing the words world and/or champion:

    The fact that women in the home have shut themselves away from the thought and life of the world has done much to retard progress. We fill the world with the children of 20th century A.D. fathers and 20th century B.C. mothers.
    Charlotte Perkins Gilman (1860–1935)

    What a terrible thing has happened to us all! To you there, to us here, to all everywhere. Peace who was becoming bright-eyed, now sits in the shadow of death; her handsome champion has been killed as he walked by her very side. Her gallant boy is dead. What a cruel, foul, and most unnatural murder! We mourn here with you, poor, sad American people.
    Sean O’Casey (1884–1964)