Two New Inductees for South Taranaki Sporting Hall of Fame
Barry Smith (Nominator), Kieran Crowley (inductee), Sue Crowley (Kieran's wife), Othmar Hebler (Lions President), Clementine Dickie (Simon’s Daughter), South Taranaki Mayor Phil Nixon, Adi Walker (Simon’s long term partner), Richard Bourne (Nominator of Simon) and Chloe Dickie (Simon’s daughter)
Rugby star Kieran Crowley and Olympic rowing coxswain Simon Dickie are the latest additions to the prestigious South Taranaki Sporting Hall of Fame, inducted at a ceremony on Tuesday (22 July) evening.
The South Taranaki Sporting Hall of Fame started in 2017 with Roger Cox (shearing), Adine Wilson (netball), James Hunter (rugby), Graham Mourie (rugby) Stan Lay (javelin), Graeme West (rugby league) and Michael Campbell (golf) already inducted. Inductees must meet elite sporting criteria, as well as have a strong association to South Taranaki and have spent a significant period of their life living in the district.
Both Kieran and Simon were honoured by South Taranaki District Mayor Phil Nixon, who ran the ceremony. Friends and family of the inductees, councillors, sporting club members and Normanby & District Lions members were also in attendance.
The Sporting Hall of Fame has been a partnership between the Hāwera Rotary Club and the South Taranaki District Council since 2017. This year the Normanby & Districts Lions club have stepped forward to take over the partnership with Council.
Council event co-ordinator Alysha Judson says we are very honoured to have them on board so we can continue to honour or district’s local sporting legends in such a way.
Kieran Crowley became one of Taranaki’s most decorated rugby players. A dynamic fullback who played 200 matches for Taranaki, scoring 1,723 points. Kieran was selected for the All Blacks in 1983 (player #848), playing 36 matches, 19 of those being test matches.
Kieran transitioned into coaching, leading teams such as Taranaki, Canada, Benetton & Italy, further cementing his influence in the global rugby scene.
Simon Dickie was a celebrated New Zealand rowing coxswain who made a lasting impact on the sport. Simon was a part of the Maadi Cup winning crews between 1966 and 1968. His rowing career took off when he was selected as the coxswain for the New Zealand rowing team at the 1968 Olympic Games in Mexico City, where he led the coxed four to a historic gold medal victory, New Zealand’s first Olympic gold in rowing.
Simon’s success continued picking up several more Olympic medals during his career. Simon was a well-respected figure in the sporting community. His leadership, skill and contributions to rowing earned him a place among the country's most celebrated Olympian’s.
