SPORT Rowing
MiC: Henry Smith
Regatta. This promised to be a good opportunity for all U16, U17 and U18 rowers to get their first chance to race over a straight 2000m course. Unfortunately, the prediction of very strong winds proved to be accurate, and no racing took place. The second major regatta of the season was the Otago championships. It was preceded by a training camp in Twizel, which gave the coaches their first opportunity to test the boys and determine where they ranked within the club. To keep with the philosophy of development and accountability, College entered crews in a wide variety of races. The boys managed some excellent racing early on, but unfortunately, due to adverse weather, the regatta only got through 15 races on the Saturday before being cancelled on Sunday. The January training camp prior to the Canterbury championships certainly helped shake the boys out of their holiday mentality and reignite their passion for rowing. Once again, however, the weather was against us and crews were only able to race on Saturday before the regatta was abandoned. Nevertheless, the results achieved on Saturday showed that the hard work the boys had put in at the training camp had paid off, with several top results, including a resounding win by the U16 Eight and a hugely encouraging win by the U17 Eight in the U19 division. The following week the boys were back in Twizel for the South Island championships. Finally, good conditions meant they were able to complete two days of racing. Several good performances were recorded. In particular, the U16 Eight and U16 Four enjoyed resounding victories
and the U15 Octuple Scull also showed its class, with an excellent 10 second win over its nearest rival. The U18 Eight competed in the open men’s grade, placing 2nd in the final. This result seemed to do the boys a world of good, as when the club returned to its Kerr’s Reach base, a more focused and determined group of boys arrived ready to train. The South Island secondary schools’ regatta was the next target on the radar – and, with 90 boys descending on Twizel, the first time the entire club had attended a regatta this season. Saturday proved a busy day, with over 48 College crews competing and no more than four minutes between races. Sunday was a lot more manageable, due to stunning conditions and the fact that all crews had had a trial run the day before. Many notable performances were recorded, with highlights from both the U15 and U16 age groups. The U16 boys won the U16 Eight and U16 Four, while the U15 boys won the U15 Octuple Scull. The seniors struggled at this regatta due to a vomiting virus sweeping through their ranks. Despite this, the U18 Eight still managed to place 2nd, albeit 16 seconds behind CBHS. The 2019 New Zealand Secondary Schools Rowing Championships will be remembered for many reasons. College won eight medals (the most successful Maadi Cup regatta this century), had 46 boys competing in either an A or B final, and finished 2nd on the overall sweeping table. Monday and Tuesday of Maadi week are heats days, with some fields having over 75 schools entered. The heats are very stressful, the threat of elimination real, and the pressure
The 2018–19 season will be remembered for the spectacular U18 Eight’s race that saw College battle Christchurch Boys’ High School for the entire 2000m, before being pushed into 2nd place by 1.4 seconds. The race capped off a very busy season and was the culmination of months of hard work by all involved. Although College wasn’t able to defend its Maadi Cup title from 2018, coming 2nd was a heck of an effort and a huge achievement. The early season focus was taken off winning and instead placed on development and accountability. The coaching team looked to build on previous experience and integrated all U17 and U18 rowers into a “senior squad”. In each training session, the boys were boated in different combinations and these crews trained side by side to simulate racing conditions. The purpose was to promote a sense of healthy competition and develop a squad that was able to adapt to rowing in different boats to a very high skill level. The racing season began in November with the fifth running of the Senior House Fours. It is great to see the momentum and enthusiasm this event generates. The boys compete for their House in a knockout format, with the winning crew progressing to the next round. After 10 rounds, the final was contested between School House’s number one crew and Flower’s House. In a close run race, School House managed a slender one length victory. A fortnight later the boys headed to Lake Hood for the Ashburton
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Christ’s College Canterbury
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