2025 NSW All Schools Championships – Schoolboy Double Preview

With most schools around NSW having a taste of the 2026 Racing Season, the first of many championship events is coming on Saturday. Schools and clubs from all around NSW, ACT and Queensland are coming down to the Sydney International Regatta Centre this weekend for the 2025 NSW All Schools Championship. A particular race that is to catch the attention of packed grandstands is the Schoolboy Double Scull, with 11 crews putting their bodies on the line as they compete for a position on the podium.

Barker College
This is not the first time that this combination has rowed together, having both raced at the Hunter Valley Grammar School Regatta, where they secured 3rd place in the Men’s U17/U19 Double Scull. However, this is the first time that both boys will be racing together at SIRC, making this crew an interesting mix of anticipation and nervousness as they enter their first race on Saturday.

Canberra Grammar School
Saturday will be the debut run down the track for this combination, as they have not raced together previously. Both boys have raced in the ACT, competing in a range of boat types, from schoolboy eights to schoolboy single sculls. Although this will be the first time this crew races together, the opportunity to go out hard on the weekend and embed themselves in the race will no doubt fuel these boys as they thunder down the course.

Glebe Rowing Club
Similar to Barker College, this crew rowed together last season at the 2024 NSW All Schools Championship, obtaining fourth place. Additionally, both raced in the men’s eight at the Glebe Rowing Club Regatta as part of the JB Sharp series, finishing second behind Sydney Rowing Club. With a plethora of experience in rowing together, this Glebe crew is set to be one of the stronger crews for this race.

Hunter Valley Grammar School
Hunter Valley Grammar School entered this race with two boys who have had a set of strong results in previous regattas earlier this season, most notably at the Newcastle University Regatta last month, where Luke Purdie was undefeated across five races. With these results in mind, it’s not surprising that Hunter Valley Grammar is one of the favourites this coming Saturday.

Kinross Wolaroi School
Alongside Hunter Valley Grammar School, Kinross Wolaroi are among the favourites of this race, with Hamish Searle and Toby Buckland winning both of their races at the Loreto Normanhurst Regatta in late October earlier this year, including a gripping schoolboy quad race. With their sharp racing mentality and zero hesitation, this crew is undoubtedly one to keep an eye on for a podium position.

Leichhardt Rowing Club
This crew also has its share of experience, with Remy and Luca Wilson both having raced together in the double at the most recent school regatta, the Sydney Girls High School Regatta, going up against the St Augustine’s double. The desire to come back and change the outcome from the previous results will most certainly drive these boys as they battle Auggies down the course.

Marist College
Similar to Kinross Wolaroi and Hunter Valley Grammar, the boys in navy and sky blue head into this race with a boastful reputation from Canberra, with this particular combination of Luca Stargato and Roland Carter, who have embedded themselves in ACT rowing by winning both of their double events by a stunning four and eight-second margins. This crew will be another strong contender for a position on the podium.

Mosman Rowing Club
This Mosman crew enters the regatta with somewhat of a smaller reputation compared to the other entries. Both crew members have had no racing experience this season, meaning that this upcoming race will be the perfect opportunity to showcase what they have been refining over the past few weeks and to start their season off with a robust performance.

Redlands
Similar to Barker and Canberra Grammar, this crew has had some experience racing together, but not in the double, having both come second in the schoolboy quad at the Loreto Normanhurst Regatta. This upcoming race will be a testament to their hard work and dedication behind the scenes to be able to land on the podium this coming Saturday.

Rockhampton Grammar School
The boys in the red and black are making the gruelling journey down to Sydney to race this double scull for the first time. Given the stakes at hand, this race is one of nervousness and excitement as the boys line up alongside the other schools. In particular, Archie Becker stands out in the crew, with a win in the Schoolboy Single Scull at the Rockhampton Secondary School Regatta by over one minute. This crew is sure to be one of the most energetic out of the blocks.

St Augustine’s College
As mentioned previously, this crew has had some history with the Leichhardt crew at their most recent regatta, which took place around two weeks ago. The St Augustine’s crew gained an edge over Leichhardt by just under nine seconds and then trumped them again in the quad, albeit by only three seconds. Expect the crew in green and gold, and the boys in red, white, and blue, to be battling down the course as they compete for a position on the podium.

Prediction
With a varying amount of racing experience and crews from all over the east coast competing, it’s hard to lay a prediction down for this contest. I will have to go with Kinross Wolaroi, who will charge through the finish line in the gold medal position, swiftly followed by St Augustine’s, who will take the silver as Hunter Valley Grammar closely pursues them, as they fend off Leichhardt Rowing Club for a tightly contested bronze medal.