'His rowing weight was about 12st 71bs to 12st 101bs. His first match was against the late P. Colourn, whom he beat, but afterwards met with defeat several times from that sculler. He rowed for the first time in Sydney, at the regatta when he won two events; and the following month, he and Colourn defeated the brothers Trickett in a double sculling race, in skiffs. He was next beaten by the then champion, W. Hickey, in skiffs, who refused to row again in the same class of boats. But a match was rowed between Rush and R. Hickey, resulting in a victory for the first named. Rush then learned to row in outriggers, and on the 19th November 1870, was beaten by 10 lengths, by W. Hickey, for £200 a side and the Australian championship. A month later, the same two rowed a match in skiffs, Rush winning. In 1873, they again met on the Parramatta, in outriggers, when Rush won by six lengths.
“Charon”, of the
Sydney Mail, 1883 wrote:
"Personally Rush is one of the best of good fellows. Possessing a fine, manly face, with cheery, pleasant expression, and being able to boast of just enough of his native brogue to swear by, he is a worthy specimen of a genial, good hearted Irishman. His height is 6 feet 1 inch, and as he will be only 38 next birthday, he may be considered comparatively a young man. His style of rowing is anything but taking to the eye, but, notwithstanding, he gets the pace out of his boat, What he lacks in skill is fully compensated for by the powerful frame and strong muscular development. He has not had the experience of his opponent, nor has he travelled the world wide in search of foemen, worthy of his steel, yet patiently and perseveringly he has entered the lists; and, lacking the skill and knowledge of his celebrated adversary with alternate success he has battled with him."
The following year, at Grafton, he beat Edward Trickett, Elias C. Laycock, Hickey, Green, and others; but at the Grafton Regatta, 1874, was beaten by Laycock and Solomon. In 1875, no response was made to a challenge of Rush's, to row any man in the world, for £500 a side, on the Clarence. When Trickett returned from England, after beating Joseph Sadler, Rush threw out another challenge, which resulted in the men rowing for the Championship of the World, the event being witnessed by 50,000 people. Rush led for about a mile, when Trickett went to the fore, and finished 10 seconds in front of his opponent.
In 1879 he was beaten by Laycock, on the Parramatta, in outriggers, but the finish was so close that the umpire's decision was questioned, Five months later Laycock beat him easily, over the same course. It was then said that Rush was not in good rowing form. After Laycock's return from England, Rush issued another challenge, and the pair met on the Parramatta in 1881, for £200 a side when the Clarence man won by 6 lengths, in 21 minutes the fastest time recorded over the champion course. It was immediately following this that his friends in Sydney presented him with plate to the value of £200, and entertained him at a banquet. He then rowed in the Walker Whiskey race, in which he was beaten by Pearce and Power his defeat being attributed to some defect in the boat used by him. Rush and Power again met, the former staking £200 to £100 with a similar result; but on the following Saturday Rush “turned the tables" on Power. Then on the following Monday, he also defeated Pearce; but two days later again succumbed to Laycock.
At the Grafton regatta in May, 1882, he won the outrigger race very easily from Power, and his last appearance was in the Punch Trophy race in which he won both his divisions, beating Pearce, Laycock, and D. McDonald; and the final heat from Bill Beach, Trickett, and Laycock.'
