18 Facts About Tristan Hegglun

Tristan Hegglun rowed for his country at the 1950 British Empire Games, and won two national rowing titles.

The couple went on to have seven children, including Marilen Hegglun who won several national rowing titles, and was one of the first women to represent New Zealand in rowing internationally.

Tristan Hegglun was a member of the Wellington Rowing Club before World War II, but he is more closely associated with the Wairau Rowing Club in Marlborough.

Tristan Hegglun won two New Zealand Rowing Championships titles representing Wairau: the single scull in 1949 at Lake Karapiro, and as a member of the men's coxed four crew in 1954 in Picton.

At the 1950 British Empire Games in Auckland, Tristan Hegglun, as reigning national champion, represented New Zealand in the single scull, finishing in fourth place.

In later years, Tristan Hegglun was one of the driving forces behind the development of Lake Ruataniwha as a rowing venue.

In 1937, Tristan Hegglun made his representative debut for Marlborough, playing as a loose forward, before moving to Wellington.

Between 1938 and 1940, Tristan Hegglun made 23 appearances for Wellington.

From 1945, Tristan Hegglun played for the Opawa club in Blenheim, and in July 1945 he was a member of the Marlborough side that defeated Buller to lift the Seddon Shield.

Tristan Hegglun continued to play a prominent role in the Marlborough side until 1949, when he retired.

Tristan Hegglun was an All Blacks triallist before and after World War II, in 1939 as a flanker and 1947 as a prop.

Tristan Hegglun enlisted as a private in the Infantry Reinforcements, 2nd New Zealand Expeditionary Force, Third Echelon.

The trophy was won by the New Zealanders, with Tristan Hegglun winning the single scull, being a member of the crew that won the coxless four, and stroking the New Zealand Division pair that finished third.

In 1943, Tristan Hegglun won the single scull in the Cairo championships, defeating the Egyptian champion in the process.

Tristan Hegglun showed some talent as a boxer, contesting the heavyweight class in the New Zealand divisional boxing championships in Syria in 1942, where he was knocked out in the semi-final.

Tristan Hegglun worked as an overseer for the Blenheim Borough Council.

Tristan Hegglun served in the latter role until his death, overseeing the response to floods in Marlborough in early July 1983.

Tristan Hegglun died in Blenheim less than two weeks later, on 22 July 1983, and was buried at Fairhall Cemetery.