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9th Day in Nanjing
Glen Larmer at the tennis today - looking like the heat was getting to him. It was bloody hot!
21 August 2014
Today a complete change of roles for me in Nanjing at the 2nd Summer Youth Olympic Games. The Rugby Sevens has finished so today my commentary roster had me heading out to the tennis complex for some broadcasts there. I worked with Auckland Glen Larmer (he's a great bloke - though he calls himself a 'former - Wellingtonian' which is interesting as he went to Naenae College)
We had a nice day. Seeing there were only three matches on the Show Court we split them up 50/50%. Glen took the men's singles semi-final and I opted for the women's. Then we both decided to share the call on the Mixed doubles. My female winner was a very powerful Chinese women by the name of Xu Shilin - known as 'Coco' to her friends - and my word she could play. As a 17 year old she was hardly likely to be in the top ranked 'adult' players in China but I will be looking out for her in the future. Today she bulllied past Kristina Schmiedlova of Slovakia 6-1 6-1 in less than an hour. That puts her into the medal rounds (the semi finals to put it another way) I wouldn't put it past her to win the Gold Medal. Coco has a tough game.
I must say the temperatures seemed vastly hotter today than out at the rugby. It was so exhaustingly hot when I climbed to the top of the commentary tower that i immediately seemed to get what I would call a 'heat headache.' Mind you, a couple of panadols fixed that though.
Then later I had to put my rain jacket on to keep out the cold as the night swept in. So it is crazy here.
Anyway who cares about the weather? Nobody really does? Especially about commentators - its always a bit 'OK' so we cope.
Soon enough the tennis today was over and Glen and I battled back in the train (for 15 stops - an hour's ride) to the hotel. A couple of Heinie's downstairs and now I'm off to bed.
Tomorrow it's weightlifting which is on my roster. Funny how things work eh? One has to be ready for anything.
Talk to you here tomorrow.
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Every day there is Rugby History 3 July 1994
Click to show France wins a test series in NZ with an unforgettable try!
'It was a try from the end of the world!' said captain Philippe Saint-Andre of his fullback Jean-Luc Sadourny's match-winning 100metre team try at Eden Park.
A-Z of Rugby
Click to show CALDER, the brothers FINLAY and JIM
CALDER, FINLAY
Melrose, Stewart’s-Melville and Scotland
34 internationals for Scotland 1986–91
3 internationals for British Isles 1989
CALDER, JIM
Stewart’s Melville and Scotland
27 internationals for Scotland 1981–85
1 international for British Isles 1983
Twins from a family of four rugby-playing brothers from Edinburgh, Jim and Finlay Calder held a unique place in world rugby: between them they virtually occupied one position in the Scottish team for 10 seasons.
Jim Calder was first into the Scottish team, playing as flanker against France in 1981. From then until 1985 he was a first choice in 27 Scottish test sides, missing only one international right through until the disastrous Scottish season of 1984–85. He scored the vital try against France that clinched the Grand Slam win for Scotland in 1983–84.
Finlay Calder took over his brother’s position as flanker in the Scottish team. His internationals were played consecutively as well, apart from missing one test, because of injury, in 1988 and another in 1989. He announced his retirement after the Scottish tour of New Zealand in 1990 and missed the 1990–91 Five Nations series, but he was then lured out of retirement in time to be back in the Scottish team for the World Cup of 1991.
At one point the Calder brothers had played on the side of the scrum in 55 of the 59 internationals Scotland played from 1981–90. Both had taken part in a Scottish Grand Slam: Jim in 1984 and Finlay in 1990.
Finlay Calder was a Scottish captain in 1988–89 and a British Isles skipper as well. In 1989 he led the Lions to Australia in his usual rollicking good- humoured way – off the field, that is. On the field he was grim and vigorous. The 2–1 test series win was the first the Lions had had on tour for 16 years.
Although the Calder twins did not actually play a test match together they, along with their brother John, were all together in the Scotland party which toured Australia in 1982. The third brother John Calder, also a loose forward, was equal top try-scorer on that tour. He was never capped in a full international match.
In 1990 Finlay Calder was awarded the OBE for his services to Scottish and British rugby.
10 Questions to well known sporting people
Today's KQ Rugby Quiz
Piri Weepu played 71 tests for the All Blacks; how many times did he play for the full 80 minutes?
What do you think?
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