SPORT Rowing
MiC: Henry Smith Coaches: Tony O’Connor, Malcolm McIntyre, Dr Andrew Taylor, Nathan Luff, Jack Chapman, Liam O’Leary The 2023–2024 rowing season will go down as one of ‘firsts’ – 1st in the U16 eight, a first with no ‘Captain of Boats’ and, finally, a first with no U18 rowers. College embarked on a season filled with frustrations, illness, and inconsistencies as younger athletes tried to navigate the world of school rowing without any U18 rowers to act as guides. The early focus was on development and accountability. With no U18 rowers to lead the way, a large but naive ‘senior squad’ assembled, ready for a new programme. The boys were boated in different combinations and crews were trained side by side to simulate racing conditions, promoting healthy competition, adaptability, and a range of skills. To launch the season, the club hosted its annual House Fours regatta, with the racing fast and furious. Following time trials, knockout heats, and semi-finals, the School House crew of James Hadden, George Young, Geordie Pavey, and Will Richards won the House Fours final from Flower’s House by a boat length. The racing season got under way in November with the annual Pennant regatta at Kerr’s Reach. Friends and families were welcomed at the College shed. It was also an opportunity to run mixed eight crews with St Margaret’s College, with names drawn out of a hat to create crews who battled for bragging rights. Next up was a training camp in Twizel as the boys prepared for the
Otago Championships. It was the first opportunity to test the boys and determine where they ranked within the club. College crews were entered in a wide variety of events, including the open men’s classes, at the Otago regatta, leading to some excellent racing. Unfortunately, bad weather cut short the programme, but the boys left the regatta confident and enthusiastic for summer training. In a new approach, the boys arrived three days before the Canterbury Championships and extended their post-racing stay by five days. This helped to shake the boys out of their holiday mentality and reawaken their training desire. The initial results were promising but again the weather hampered racing. The following week, the boys returned to Twizel for the South Island Championships, bringing a fresh edge to training. However, bad weather led to racing being shortened to 1000m as crews braved abysmal conditions. A special mention must be made of the heat results of the club eight crew (2nd), the U15 octuple (3rd), the U17 four (3rd), and the U16 eight and four (2nd). When the club returned to Kerr’s Reach, a determined group of boys arrived ready to train. For the South Island Secondary Schools regatta, 86 boys descended on Twizel. College produced several good performances, with five crews winning medals. The U15 octuple sculls again led the way, beating Marlborough Boys’ College by 16.5sec. Both the U17 and U16 eights won silvers while the U16 four and a novice eight claimed bronze. The 2024 Maadi squad remained in Twizel to prepare for the New Zealand Secondary Schools Rowing
Championships. This camp is vital for the training programme, offering an opportunity for finishing touches to crews. The national regatta will be remembered for wonderful rowing, medals, and the logistical marathon of organising 65 College rowers. It was our biggest team ever – even without Year 13 rowers. The first days bring stress, and, at times, a few tears. Crews may face early elimination, so the pressure is on to stay the course. However, many College crews progressed directly to the following rounds and several crews moved straight to semi-finals or A finals. The U17 eight had worked hard all season to bed in a new style of rowing. After a strong start, the crew finished 1st, beating last season’s U16 national champion, St Peter’s College from Auckland, by 5sec. In the U15 octuple, a new crew found its rhythm after a disastrous start to finish 3rd. Meanwhile, the U17 coxed crew finally raced against its own age group after lining up in the U18 class all season. The boys soon found their rhythm to move away from their closest rival, Hamilton Boys’ High School, to win by more than 6sec and go straight to the final with the third-fastest time. Next, the U16 eight blasted out of the blocks. After 1000m, it was a two- crew race against King’s College. As the crew approached the last 500m, College found another gear to record a comfortable one-length victory. Two College crews lined up in the U17 coxless pair. The A crew of Finnan Chan-Allan and Mark Reidie was in the mix at the halfway point. However, with both required to race for the U18 eight an hour
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Christ’s College Canterbury
Register 2024 Sport
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