KEY POINTS:
Rowing New Zealand (RNZ) did not allow rumours about their accounting practices to take the sheen off the welcome-home for some of their world championship winners from Germany today.
Questions about the mysterious allegations about funding irregularities were given a wide berth by rowing officials, who were initially vague about the arrival time home of the organisation's chairman of the board.
Ultimately Bill Falconer preceded Eric Murray and Carl Meyer -- half of the gold-medal winning coxless four -- through the arrivals' hall at Auckland airport.
But he said he could add no details about the investigation.
RNZ chief executive Craig Ross, who returned from Munich prematurely before New Zealand achieved a record haul of three gold and two silvers last weekend, was not on hand for the welcome-home party as he continues to assist independent auditors.
Falconer told the New Zealand Herald on Monday that the organisation was investigating claims of irregularities in some of their funding applications.
He had subsequently spoken to Ross but would not elaborate other than to insist the unsubstantiated rumours did not involve money from the government's sports finding agency Sparc.
"It's nothing to do with Sparc, it's totally internal and unfortunately I can't illuminate on it further," he told NZPA today.
"The matter is under review with the auditors, I've really got nothing to add.
"We did this as a response to a rumour and we've given the auditors all the information they need," said Falconer, who added there was no time frame on the investigation though it was being treated as a matter of urgency.
Rowing is clearly New Zealand's best-credentialled sport in terms of podium performances in Beijing next year, and has been heavily supported by Sparc since the last Olympics in Athens when twins Caroline and Georgina Evers-Swindell won the double sculls.
Sparc said in 2005 that it would invest $4.5 million in Rowing NZ over the subsequent four years.
- NZPA
