July 27, 1985

Keith Ratcliffe, coach of the New Brunswick Canada Summer Games rowing team, will be honored today by the Renforth Rowing Club for his 10 years of dedicated service to the club.

The event - a barbecue and reception that begins at three o'clock - is to say thanks and give Ratcliffe a fond farewell, as he'll be moving his family to Toronto Aug. 25, the day after the Canada Summer Games end in Saint John.

For the past three months Ratcliffe has been working out of Toronto on a job as operations manager with a new company. He's been travelling back-and-forth front Saint John to Toronto and, eight months prior to that, was going to-and-from Boston doing a job with another firm.

"I should have moved before, but I stayed to see the Games through," explained Ratcliffe.

Ratcliffe, a native of London, England, has taken a four-week leave of absence from his, job to work with his N.B. Games team and prepare it properly for competition. He has been coach at the Renforth Rowing Club for 10 years and was one of the main reasons why the club won its first Canadian championship in 1977.

Since then, Renforth has captured "seven or eight" national titles.

"I've had a lot of good times here," said Ratcliffe. "The club has really established itself over the years."

N.B. Sports Hall of Fame Humphrey Bonnycastle was instrumental in starting the club and Ratcliffe became involved shortly after when he volunteered to help out after just arriving in town.

Ratcliffe came over from London because his wife, a Fredericton native whom he met in England, wanted to return home. It just so happens that when Ratcliffe offered his services to the Renforth Rowing Club, the newly-formed club had just lost its coach.

Ratcliffe, who had been competitive rower in London for over 15 years - including appearance at Henley and other large regattas - was offered the coaching position.

Being honored today is something Ratcliffe definitely deserves, though he would never admit it.

"It's a very nice thing," he said. "I wasn't expecting it."