Medallist’s wife ‘despised the sport’
Jackie Murray left shaking and angry by selectors’ comments
Jackie and Eric Murray, and (inset) Murray and Bond at NZME Central to launch their book
The wife of double Olympic gold medal-winning rower Eric Murray has lambasted Rowing New Zealand’s “oldschool mentality” over the couple’s childbirth saga, saying it left her despising the sport. Jackie Murray said she was left shaking and angry after a selector said her husband didn’t need to be at her side for the birth of their first child before the 2011 world championships. She believes the sport is tainted by an archaic culture. Her comments follow revelations yesterday that her husband and rowing partner Hamish Bond almost had their rowing relationship severed before reaching the 2012 London Games. Their new autobiography, The Kiwi Pair, claims the Murrays were called to a meeting at Lake Karapiro with Bond, Rowing New Zealand selectors Conrad Robertson and Barrie Mabbott, high performance manager Alan Cotter and coach Dick Tonks to discuss Eric’s desire to return for the birth before the championships. Jackie Murray had been given medical advice she might not be able to carry a child because she had previously miscarried. The prospective parents had been reassured by the governing body’s chief executive, Simon Peterson, that Eric could return for the birth.
“Simon was fantastic at looking after his athletes,” Jackie Murray told the Herald yesterday. “Unfortunately Simon was away when the meeting was called.”
“We went in. All Eric wanted was to come back for a week. We didn’t think he’d be back for the birth, but thought if he got on the plane when I went into labour at least he could spend a week with [baby] Zac.
“Eric walked in totally oblivious. Me, having been involved with rowing from day dot [Jackie’s father Gary Robertson was a gold medal winner in the 1972 Munich eight], knew never to let my guard down [in rowing circles].”
Murray said the first thing that struck her as odd was that selector Athol Earl, a family friend and fellow Munich crewmate of her father, wasn’t at the meeting.
“I knew Athol was in Cambridge so my instinct said something was going to happen. We sat down and Conrad went off. I was called selfish and inconsiderate. I was ruining Eric’s rowing career and putting tension between him and Hamish.”
Then Robertson, the convenor of selectors and a 1984 Olympic coxless four gold medallist, said: “Men didn’t come home from war just because women were having children.”
“To see my wife demeaned in that
Hway because we’d chosen to have a baby was absolutely appalling,” Eric Murray wrote in his book. Jackie Murray said yesterday: “I was trying to make the point that I wasn’t getting any younger. Conrad told me I didn’t need Eric there and his No 1 priority was rowing. Then came the war comment. I thought ‘what sort of mentality is this?’ I was shaking thinking ‘how dare you say this at a point in our lives when we’re so happy? How dare you tell me I’m irresponsible and selfish for wanting to have a family?’ ” Robertson, a selector for 20 years, told the Herald yesterday: “This is the first time it’s been brought to my attention.” He declined to comment further. Peterson’s view contradicts Robertson’s. “We dealt with it at the time and provided an apology to Eric and Jackie. It was completely inappropriate of Conrad and behaviour we couldn’t accept.” Once the Murrays left the meeting the panel asked Bond privately whether he wanted his crewmate removed. Bond wanted Murray. The men’s pair went on to win the world championships, remaining unbeaten until today. Zac Murray starts school next term. For a video interview with Bond and Murray, visit nzherald.co.nz