Charlie Saunders

Charlie rowed for both the Wairau and Blenheim clubs winning a red coat in the coxless pair in 1927 for Wairau. He served on the Marlborough Rowing Association and held a number of offices for the New Zealand Amateur Rowing Association (now RNZ) over a 40-year period, comprising Vice President, President, Vice Patron (second for the sport), a selector from 1952-56 encompassing the 1952 and 56 Olympics in Helsinki and Melbourne and was manager for Rowing at the Rome Olympics 1960. He was licenced umpire No.1 in 1967 and became convenor of examiners. Charlie was one of the prime instigators of the Lake Ruataniwha rowing course, regularly travelling huge distances in those early days with Tris Hegglun to liaise with Max Smith. He is a Life Member of South Island Rowing.

Charlie rowed in the four and eight at the 1930 Hamilton (Canada) Empire Games winning a silver medal in the eight and a bronze in the four. He also competed at the 1932 Los Angeles Olympics in the four and eight, finishing fourth and fifth respectively.