It was the year the United States, led by President Jimmy Carter, boycotted the Moscow Olympics and friendly countries were expected to follow suit.
Burrow (69) was on the executive of Rowing New Zealand from 1980 to 1985 and the boycott was his biggest regret.
"We took a decision at national level and were determined that the team would go," Burrow said.
The cost of travelling to an Olympic Games would normally be paid by the New Zealand Olympic Committee but it had to adhere to the New Zealand Government's boycott.
Rowing teams paid their own way to world championships and were prepared to do this for Moscow.
"But there were forces stopping us. We couldn't get a bridging loan from the bank and Air New Zealand cancelled our reservations."
Don Rowlands, a member of Rowing New Zealand's executive, was chief executive of Fisher and Paykel and was told that his company would not get any more government contracts if the rowing team went to Moscow.
"It was the Government pushing us all the way and telling us that we couldn't go," Burrow said.
His wife, Jeanette, is also keen on rowing and travels to Twizel with Burrow for regattas.
"I couldn't spend as much time on rowing if Jeanette was not involved," he said.
When they travelled to England for the world championships at Eton in 2008, Burrow realised that the rowing fraternity was a worldwide family. A girl travelling on the bus used to row for the Avon club in Christchurch and recognised him.
"I was wearing my New Zealand blazer and was given free entry to the championships."
He was welcomed to the regatta by the general manager of the world championships who asked if any improvements could be made.
"When I told him a couple things he was quite shocked. But he was looking for higher standards and was glad I told him."
The umpires wore white hats that day. From a distance they can look like a white flag.
"They should not wear white hats," Burrow said. "The next day they wore blue hats."
The course at Eton was easy to find from the centre of London. But it is different at Lake Ruataniwha.
"We are a long way away from everywhere and everything has to be on site. We can't afford to bring in portaloos because it costs that much."
Burrow was a founding member of the South Island Rowing Association in 1975. North Island interests wanted to hold all national regattas on Lake Karapiro after 1978.
The South Island response was the development of Lake Ruataniwha into an international-quality rowing lake. It has been Burrow's administrative highlight.
"In 30 years we have turned it from a barren wind-blown place into a vibrant and busy rowing centre."
The facilities on the site are now worth an estimated $2.5 million. This includes the recently revamped clubrooms that can sleep up to 75 people and is valued at $1.5 million.
"That would be one of the biggest things in my time in administration."
Ten regattas are held at Lake Ruataniwha each year and Burrow spends up to five days at the lake for each regatta.
Since retiring from his plumbing business six years ago, Burrow and his wife spend up to four months a year at the lake.
South Island Rowing owes a debt to Max Smith, the project manager for hydro development at Twizel at the time.
The rowing facilities at Lake Ruataniwha have recently been named the Max Smith Park.
The lake has been good for New Zealand rowing because it means the two big events on the domestic calender, the New Zealand championships and the Maadi Cup, can be held on alternate years at Lake Karapiro and Lake Ruataniwha to lessen the demands on volunteers at each venue.
Burrow, a member of the Otago Rowing Association since 1965, has a practical approach to administration, rolling up his sleeves and doing the practical work. This week he spent time gardening at the North End Rowing Club.
At Ruataniwha, he paints the buildings, removes wilding pines, cleans the grounds and is the voice over the speaker as the boat park marshall for regattas.
He spent three weeks last Christmas working on the lake grounds and his wife does the cooking.
" A good administrator can't sit behind a desk all day."
Burrow started rowing in 1957 when a pupil at King Edward Technical College and joined the North End club. His first big competitive event was the Maadi Cup at Auckland that year, when the school eight was third.
It takes two hours to fly from Dunedin to Auckland today but the King Edward Technical College eight did it the hard way, travelling by train, boat and train. It took two days each way.
"We travelled by train from Dunedin, caught the inter-island ferry at Lyttelton, and went to Auckland on the midnight express," he said.
They borrowed a boat but it was a bad choice.
"We had terrible trouble with that boat," Burrow said.
"A seat broke and a crewmate cut his behind."
Fred Strachan, the coach of the crew, was disappointed when they finished third.
That trip enthused Burrow to stay in rowing.
"It wasn't that easy to get into rowing in those days. I remember lining up in the bottom floor at Tech."
Fifty boys wanted to row and only 25 were accepted.
The first question asked was "Can you swim?".
"If you couldn't swim you were out." The second question was "Do you have a push bike?" Burrow said. "If you didn't have one you were out."
After that, coach Fred Strachan walked past the remaining boys and said "You might make it ... you are out... you can have a go... you might make a cox."
It was Strachan's enthusiasm that got through to the crews and they stayed in the sport.
Burrow, a top oarsman in his youth, was in the team that won the New Zealand lightweight fours title at Lake Waihola in 1959. The other crew members were Syd Broadley, Murray Farrent, Allan Bridgman and cox Darrell Monaghan.
"We weren't expected to win," Burrow said.
"Conditions were not great but we managed to get out in front and stay there."
In those days there was no podium, no victory ceremony and no medals ... just a certificate that arrived a year later.
"Until I got into Masters rowing I never actually won a medal," Burrow said. "You rowed and when you came ashore everyone congratulated you."
He is enthusiastic about Masters rowing and has been co-ordinator for Masters Games rowing since it was first held in Dunedin in 1992.
Burrow is a tiger for punishment. He retired from the top job in Otago Rowing in 1990 but is now back playing a leading role again.
He joined the Otago Rowing Association in 1965, was president in 1982 and chairman from 1982 to 1990.
Burrow became president again in 2008 and remains in that role.
"It was a job I could do and I felt I should go back and encourage the younger ones." Burrow retired from his plumbing business six years ago and now has more time to devote to the sport he loves.
His work was recognised at national level when he was named the Volunteer of the Year in 2010.
It was a fitting reward for Burrow who has had a 54-year involvement in the sport.
He has stayed with rowing because he likes the sport.
"It was the thrill of getting out on the water in a boat and just competing," he said.
"It's great if you win. It is the enthusiasm of the competitors that keeps me in it.
"I enjoy meeting the young people and try to encourage them to stay in the sport. We are losing too many in the transition from school to work," Burrow said. "Coaches should not push rowers too hard when they are at school.
"They should make rowing fun. It can be fun."
Neil Burrow
• Age: 69.
• Sport: Rowing.
• Roles: Life member North End Club, Otago Rowing Association, South Island Rowing, Otago Master Plumbers. President Otago Rowing 1982, 2008-11; chairman 1982-90; executive member Rowing NZ 1980-85; International umpire; co-ordinator NZ Masters Games rowing; NZ Plumbers Board 2006-09.
• Married to Jeanette, three children, six grand-children.
