After a two-day delay due to the Twizel Region’s Alert Level 2 status, the 2021 New Zealand Rowing Championships finally began on Thursday, 20th February, on Lake Ruataniwha in the South Island. Needing a condensed three-day schedule, all finals were contested on Saturday with qualifier races compressed into the remaining two days.
Aquinas College rowers, Noah Kellett and Harrison McGregor, competed in novice boats, winning Gold in the Coxed Four and two Bronze medals in both the Eights and the Quad races.
Scott Clark claimed two Silvers in the intermediate grade (Coxed 4 and an 8) while Anton Bernard also brought home a Silver in the 8. This was a massive effort from our secondary school rowers who were racing as part of the Tauranga Rowing Club.
Frustratingly, Level 2 restrictions returned just as the North Island Secondary School Champs were due to start forcing that regatta to be suspended also until late April.
All our attention is now firmly fixed on the Maadi Cup, NZ Secondary Schools’ National Championships which is due to be held on Lake Karapiro during Summer Tournament week. Cambridge, in the Waikato, will play host to over two thousand young rowers when all the South Island schools come to town! Let’s wish them all luck!
You must be logged in to post a comment.