In 1978 Kingston Rowing Club sent in an entry for the Double Sculls Challenge Cup in the names of A.Hohl and P.Bird. The crew was in fact Great Britain internationals Astrid Ayling and Pauline Hart, who had made the entry under their maiden names. The regatta realised the subterfuge and Coni made a statement to the press in which he said that it was 'sad that a long-established club should think it reasonable behaviour to make a deliberately false declaration'. He added that the stewards had no fear of the Sex Discrimination Act.