An association should think carefully about participating in the main race, explains Saurus chairman Amber van Els. "If you start and can't deliver a team the following year, you can't participate for three years." Saurus last participated in 2012. “After that, there has been no 'Old Four'-worthy team for a number of editions. In recent years, the focus has been on building a training program.”
Last January, Van Els received a request from a group of male members and their coaches. It then became clear that the association had a few rowers this season "who could move a boat a bit", says Karel van Melle, who will be at the bow next Sunday (at the very front of the boat). So they row at a high level, train hard (eight, nine or even ten times a week), feel fit and ready to start. Van Els: “We present such a major decision to the members during a general members' meeting.”
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The Old Four and their cox
“Besides the fact that the Varsity is the competition of the year, it draws attention to the association”, says Van Melle. “You can already feel that the club is coming to life. That started last week, when the Old Four was presented.” Saurus will travel to Houten with a large, full bus on Sunday. Van Melle is extra happy: "As a former chairman, I think it's fantastic that the association has something great to look forward to after corona."
Winning during the Varsity means eternal fame, it was previously stated in Observant. Van Melle does not dare to make any predictions. “I think we are not inferior to the rest, but there are Olympians in the boats of some other associations. Our goal is simply to row as hard as we possibly can. That's all we can control."
Should Van Melle and his teammates win coming Sunday, the large number of present Saurians will jump naked with only a tie on in the water. In addition, according to tradition, Saurus is obliged to throw a large open party, the so-called ‘pub jool’.