William Webb (rower)
Encyclopedia
William Charles Webb was the first New Zealander to hold the Professional World Sculling Championship Title. He was also known as “Bill” or “Billy Webb”.
, the port of Christchurch
, New Zealand
, on 21 January 1880 and was educated at the local schools. In his youth he was a natural athlete being prominent in running and cycling but he turned his attention to rowing. He won various amateur events between 1896 and 1905/06 not only in single sculls but also in doubles and fours. In his last season as an amateur he won the Champion Single Sculls and the Champion Double Sculls events at Picton
, and later the Senior Single Sculls at Wanganui
, and thus he was the amateur New Zealand Champion. By this time Webb had moved to Wanganui
to live and he spent the rest of his life there. After wining the amateur events he decided to turn professional.
, New Zealand, on 26 December 1906 with a purse of £200 a side. Stanbury was nearing the end of his racing career and put up a good row but was well beaten by Webb in a time of 18m.50s for the three mile course. See also New Zealand Sculling Championship
.
, had forfeited the Title to him. The Webb race was the first defence for Charles Towns. This race took place on the Parramatta River
, Sydney, Australia, on the 2 August 1907. Webb won by five lengths and was declared World Champion by the umpire, despite a protest by Towns regarding an alleged foul by Webb, which would have lost him the race. Not all commentators agreed with the umpire as some thought Webb should have lost the race because of the foul. However as there was no controlling body for the World Title, nor for most other professional sports, the ruling stood.
The 1908 World Title race was commemorated in December 2008 when Olympic champion Olaf Tufte
defeated three time World Champion Mahé Drysdale
and wild card race winner Hamish Bond
on New Zealand's Whanganui River to take home the $5000 cash prize. (source http://www.row2k.com/features/features.cfm?action=read&id=386). The race as since been competed for annually under the title of "The Billy Webb Challenge."
with the stake at £500 a side. The sum of £500 would be the amount of money earned over several years by a working man at the time. The match was held on the Whanganui River on 15 December 1908 and Arnst won by eight or ten lengths. A rematch between Arnst and Webb was arranged for 22 June 1909 on the same course. A fast time of 18m.15s was recorded by Arnst who again won, this time by two to three lengths.
Webb was involved in several smaller races after this but it was not until 26 December 1910 that his next major professional race took place. No title was involved but the stake was £200 a side. This race was held on the Whanganui River and was against the Australian Champion Harry Pearce. He was a formidable rower, having defeated a record five challenges in the previous year for his Australian Title. Pearce won the race by two lengths despite the best efforts of Webb. Pearce was later an unsuccessful challenger for the World Championship.
. The race was run on the Whanganui River on the 24 of September 1915 and the stake was £200 a side. Webb was a comfortable winner this time. Hannan was later an unsuccessful challenger for the World Championship.
The First World War precluded any further professional matches and when the war was over Webb retired as the undefeated Professional New Zealand Single Sculls Champion.
Throughout his life Webb continued to row for pleasure and also gave exhibition rows and was always willing to help young rowers who sought his assistance. He was well remembered and well thought of in his home of Wanganui where a street is named after him. Webb died on 2 October 1960. He was inducted into the New Zealand Sports Hall of Fame
in September 1997.
Early life
He was born at LytteltonLyttelton, New Zealand
Lyttelton is a port town on the north shore of Lyttelton Harbour close to Banks Peninsula, a suburb of Christchurch on the eastern coast of the South Island of New Zealand....
, the port of Christchurch
Christchurch
Christchurch is the largest city in the South Island of New Zealand, and the country's second-largest urban area after Auckland. It lies one third of the way down the South Island's east coast, just north of Banks Peninsula which itself, since 2006, lies within the formal limits of...
, New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
, on 21 January 1880 and was educated at the local schools. In his youth he was a natural athlete being prominent in running and cycling but he turned his attention to rowing. He won various amateur events between 1896 and 1905/06 not only in single sculls but also in doubles and fours. In his last season as an amateur he won the Champion Single Sculls and the Champion Double Sculls events at Picton
Picton, New Zealand
Picton is a town in the Marlborough region of New Zealand. It is close to the head of Queen Charlotte Sound near the north-east corner of the South Island. The population was 2928 in the 2006 Census, a decrease of 72 from 2001...
, and later the Senior Single Sculls at Wanganui
Wanganui
Whanganui , also spelled Wanganui, is an urban area and district on the west coast of the North Island of New Zealand. It is part of the Manawatu-Wanganui region....
, and thus he was the amateur New Zealand Champion. By this time Webb had moved to Wanganui
Wanganui
Whanganui , also spelled Wanganui, is an urban area and district on the west coast of the North Island of New Zealand. It is part of the Manawatu-Wanganui region....
to live and he spent the rest of his life there. After wining the amateur events he decided to turn professional.
Professional Sculling - NZ Champion
His first professional race was for the Championship of New Zealand against James Stanbury, an Australian who was five times World Champion from 1891 to 1896 and again from 1905 to mid 1906. The race was run on the Whanganui RiverWhanganui River
The Whanganui River is a major river in the North Island of New Zealand.Known for many years as the Wanganui River, the river's name reverted to Whanganui in 1991, according with the wishes of local iwi. Part of the reason was also to avoid confusion with the Wanganui River in the South Island...
, New Zealand, on 26 December 1906 with a purse of £200 a side. Stanbury was nearing the end of his racing career and put up a good row but was well beaten by Webb in a time of 18m.50s for the three mile course. See also New Zealand Sculling Championship
New Zealand Sculling Championship
The Professional Single Sculls Championship of New Zealand - Record of Racing March 1881Albert White of Mercury Bay offered to scull any person in New Zealand for the professional Championship of the country. He wanted to row for either £100 or £200...
.
World Champion
Webb then challenged Charles Towns, the World Title holder, to a match and £500 a side stake. Charles Towns of Australia had become the holder after his brother, George TownsGeorge Towns (rower)
George Towns was the Australian Single Sculls World Champion from 1901 to 1905 and 1906 to 1907. He was the last of the seven Australian Champions who between them held the title almost uninterrupted from 1876 to 1907.-Early Sculling:...
, had forfeited the Title to him. The Webb race was the first defence for Charles Towns. This race took place on the Parramatta River
Parramatta River
The Parramatta River is a waterway in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. The Parramatta River is the main tributary of Sydney Harbour, a branch of Port Jackson, along with the smaller Lane Cove and Duck Rivers....
, Sydney, Australia, on the 2 August 1907. Webb won by five lengths and was declared World Champion by the umpire, despite a protest by Towns regarding an alleged foul by Webb, which would have lost him the race. Not all commentators agreed with the umpire as some thought Webb should have lost the race because of the foul. However as there was no controlling body for the World Title, nor for most other professional sports, the ruling stood.
First Defence
Webb returned home to New Zealand to a huge welcome. His first challenge came from Richard Tresidder, an Australian, and the usual £500 a side stake was agreed to. This race was set down for 25 February 1908 on the Whanganui River over a distance of about three and a quarter miles. This was the first race ever held in New Zealand for the World Championship and Webb crossed the line three lengths ahead, and in a time of 20m.28s to undisputedly be the Champion of the World.The 1908 World Title race was commemorated in December 2008 when Olympic champion Olaf Tufte
Olaf Tufte
Olaf Karl Tufte is a Norwegian competition rower.At the 2004 Summer Olympics and 2008 Summer Olympics he won the gold medal in the men's single sculls. He won silver in the men's double sculls at the 2000 Summer Olympics together with Fredrik Bekken...
defeated three time World Champion Mahé Drysdale
Mahe Drysdale
Alexander Mahé Owens Drysdale, MNZM ) is a New Zealand rower and five-time World Champion single sculler. The name Mahé came from the largest island in the Seychelles....
and wild card race winner Hamish Bond
Hamish Bond
Hamish Bond is a New Zealand Olympic rower.Bond was a member of the gold medal-winning coxless fours at the 2007 World Rowing Championships. Prior to the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, Bond was officially named as New Zealand's 1000th Olympian but later corrected to 1002 after a miscount...
on New Zealand's Whanganui River to take home the $5000 cash prize. (source http://www.row2k.com/features/features.cfm?action=read&id=386). The race as since been competed for annually under the title of "The Billy Webb Challenge."
Championship Loss
The next challenge came from fellow New Zealander Richard ArnstRichard Arnst
Richard Arnst or Dick Arnst , born Jacob Diedrich Arnst, was a New Zealand rower, six times Single Sculls World Champion during the early part of the 20th century.-Early life:...
with the stake at £500 a side. The sum of £500 would be the amount of money earned over several years by a working man at the time. The match was held on the Whanganui River on 15 December 1908 and Arnst won by eight or ten lengths. A rematch between Arnst and Webb was arranged for 22 June 1909 on the same course. A fast time of 18m.15s was recorded by Arnst who again won, this time by two to three lengths.
Webb was involved in several smaller races after this but it was not until 26 December 1910 that his next major professional race took place. No title was involved but the stake was £200 a side. This race was held on the Whanganui River and was against the Australian Champion Harry Pearce. He was a formidable rower, having defeated a record five challenges in the previous year for his Australian Title. Pearce won the race by two lengths despite the best efforts of Webb. Pearce was later an unsuccessful challenger for the World Championship.
Later Races & Events
Webb’s final professional race was for the Championship of New Zealand. He had previously been the holder of this title but during his time as World Champion he had forfeited it to another rower as he was unwilling to risk a loss for a lesser title. His opponent for this next race was another New Zealander, Pat HannanPat Hannan
Pat Hannan was the last of six New Zealand oarsman who attempted to win the World Sculling Championship title.JP Hannan, known as Pat or Paddy, was born in Wellington in 1886 but was later a resident of Blenheim for a number of years...
. The race was run on the Whanganui River on the 24 of September 1915 and the stake was £200 a side. Webb was a comfortable winner this time. Hannan was later an unsuccessful challenger for the World Championship.
The First World War precluded any further professional matches and when the war was over Webb retired as the undefeated Professional New Zealand Single Sculls Champion.
Throughout his life Webb continued to row for pleasure and also gave exhibition rows and was always willing to help young rowers who sought his assistance. He was well remembered and well thought of in his home of Wanganui where a street is named after him. Webb died on 2 October 1960. He was inducted into the New Zealand Sports Hall of Fame
New Zealand Sports Hall of Fame
The New Zealand Sports Hall of Fame is an organisation commemorating New Zealand's greatest sporting triumphs. It was inaugurated as part of the New Zealand sesquicentenary celebrations in 1990. Some 160 members have been inducted into the Hall of Fame since its inception representing a wide...
in September 1997.