Sydney International Regatta Centre will host a new-look schoolboy eight field this weekend as the NSW All Schools Championships brings a rare cross-border flavour to the 2km course. For the first time this season, Canberra Grammar will line up against the Scots and Hunter Valley crews in a five-boat straight final that feels far less predictable than a typical GPS Saturday.
On paper, there’s genuine depth across the entry list – but the addition of a world junior championship athlete and a dominant ACT combination means this could turn into a three-way arm wrestle between Canberra Grammar 1, Hunter Valley Grammar and Scots’ top boat.
Canberra Grammar School 1
Canberra Grammar arrives as the great unknown for the NSW schools – but there’s nothing unknown about their speed.
At the CGGS/CGS Regatta, this exact combination stamped itself as the benchmark of ACT schoolboy rowing, winning the Schoolboy Eight over 1800m in 6:31.64 and clearing out from their own second crew by almost half a minute. A week earlier at the BMRC/Daramalan Regatta, they were the only schoolboy eight capable of hanging onto Canberra’s senior men, finishing second in the A-C Grade Eight in 6:06.65 over 1800m.
Crucially, there are no changes to the Canberra Grammar 1 lineup between those ACT wins and this All Schools entry. That continuity, combined with the significant racing miles already banked, gives them a level of cohesion that many Sydney school crews are still seeking in November.
The big unknown is how that ACT speed translates to 2000m at SIRC – and how they respond when they’re no longer the hunted, but the ones doing the hunting up the middle of the course. If they can reproduce their efficient rhythm from the nation’s capital and handle the extra 200m without fading, they will be very hard to beat.
Canberra Grammar School 2
Canberra Grammar’s second eight brings genuine depth to the field. At the CGGS/CGS Regatta, the second VIII finished in 7:00.93 for 1800m – well behind the top crew, but comfortably clear of any other schoolboy opposition on the lake.
One swap suggests Canberra are still tuning the middle of the boat, looking to sharpen their rhythm and bring the second VIII closer to the standard of the first.
Realistically, Canberra Grammar 2 will likely be outsiders for the win, but they could still play a significant role in shaping the race pattern. If they can stay in contact through the first 1000m, they may disrupt the plans of the Scots boats and give Canberra Grammar 1 a useful reference down the lake.
Hunter Valley Grammar School
Hunter Valley Grammar arrive with one of the most credentialled athletes in the field: Luke Purdie, fresh off representing Australia in the men’s U19 double sculls at the 2025 U19 World Rowing Championships. Slotting that level of international experience into the stern of a schoolboy eight is a serious statement of intent.
Warm-up racing at the Newcastle University Boat Club Regatta backs up the hype. HVGS’ top four – Nichols, Ogle, Melmeth and Luke Purdie, coxed by Emma Purdie – won the men’s open four over 1750m in 6:12.11, beating their own second four by more than 18 seconds. That result is telling: this isn’t just a strong school four, it’s a crew capable of mixing it in open company.
For All Schools, Hunter Valley have effectively combined those two successful fours into one eight, adding extra horsepower in Leonard and Skelly-Osmond to the proven core of Ogle, Melmeth, Purdie, Wilson, Powell and Graham.
The big question is how quickly this newly assembled eight can gel over 2000m. If the rhythm from the Newcastle open four carries across and they can convert that 1750m speed to the full course, Hunter Valley Grammar could go stroke-for-stroke with Canberra Grammar 1 through the middle thousand.
Scots College 1
Scots’ top eight come into All Schools with plenty of racing under their belts – and plenty to prove.
Early-season GPS form has been challenging. At both the Newington and Scots Regattas, this same core combination has found itself at the back end of the first eight field. At the Newington College Regatta, they placed seventh in the schoolboy eight, approximately half a minute behind Shore and Riverview. A week later at their home regatta, they again finished seventh, but with margins tightening slightly as the crew began to find more length and composure in the second 1000m.
The notable point is stability: Scots have resisted the temptation to reshuffle their first VIII, keeping Crawford through Berkelouw and cox Cameron together across multiple race weekends. That suggests coach Judith Ungemach is backing this unit to grow into the season rather than chasing short-term fixes.
Against a field without Shore, Riverview or Joeys, Scots 1 should be far more competitive. Expect them to attack the first 500m harder than they have in GPS racing, aiming to sit attached to Canberra Grammar and Hunter Valley through the 1000m. If their recent work has focused on consistency under fatigue, they may find themselves fighting for minor medals rather than simply holding onto the pack.
Scots College 2
The Scots second eight has been busy too, with back-to-back race days at Newington and Scots providing a clear picture of where they sit in the pecking order.
At both regattas, the SB2 8+ has struggled to match the raw pace of Shore, Riverview and Joeys, consistently finishing in the lower half of the field and conceding double-digit seconds to the leaders. However, those margins have begun to compress, particularly through the third 500m, where this crew has shown glimpses of a more resilient rhythm.
Bringing Carmody in alongside Little, Tyson, and Perry indicates Scots are trying to rebalance their engine room and add a bit more top-end power and composure in the middle of the boat. With Sperring remaining as cox, the calls and race plan should be familiar, allowing the rowers to focus purely on execution.
Realistically, Scots 2 will be up against it in this five-boat final, but a clean, composed row could still see them latch onto the tail of Canberra Grammar 2 and force that crew to work all the way to the line.
Prediction
Canberra Grammar 1 enter as narrow favourites, carrying strong ACT form, an unchanged lineup, and the composure of a crew that has already mixed it with senior men’s eights. Hunter Valley Grammar, powered by the Purdie siblings and the proven speed of their Newcastle-winning open four, are the most likely to challenge and could very easily flip the result if their newly combined eight gels over the full 2000m. Scots’ first VIII should find themselves far more competitive without the whole GPS field and are the best bet for the final podium place, while Canberra Grammar 2 and Scots second VIII are set for their own battle at the back end of the field, with the edge leaning toward Canberra’s depth.
