The former New Zealand rowing coach Dick Tonks has taken over as Canada's Senior Men's Head Coach.
New Zealand rowing coach Dick Tonks. Photo: PHOTOSPORT
As Head Coach for Rowing New Zealand, Tonks led his crews to over 30 Olympic and World Championship medals.
"I am looking forward to working with the Canadian rowers," said Tonks. "Canada has a strong legacy in rowing and I look forward to helping them write their next chapter."
66 year old Tonks helped Mahe Drysdale win gold at last year's Rio Olympics.
In 2015 Tonks and Rowing New Zealand split after Tonks was told to stop coaching a group of visiting Chinese men's rowers.
Tonks won the Halberg Awards 'Coach of the Year' five times.
Tonks has also been awarded World Rowing 'Coach of the Year' at the World Rowing Annual Awards three times-2005, 2010 and 2012.
As an Olympic rower, Tonks won a silver medal for New Zealand in men's coxless four at the 1972 Olympics in Munich.
In his 20 years as a New Zealand coach Tonks has helped such rowers as Philippa baker and Brenda Lawson, Rob Waddell, Caroline and Georgina Evers-Swindell, Mahé Drysdale, Nicky Coles, Juliette Haigh, Hamish Bond and Eric Murray.
