As we move closer to the pinnacle of the NZ club racing season, the North Island Rowing Championships is the chance for the North Island to lay down a marker for the South Island. The Women’s Open Eights will be a hotly contested event, and there are several contenders for the podium.
Waikato Rowing Club ‘A’
Waikato Rowing Club will go into this event as favourites following strong performances at the Karapiro Christmas Regatta. With a win at the Christmas Regatta in the Open Eight, they should continue their winning ways, which will set them up nicely before they face the best the South Island has to offer at the New Zealand Rowing Championships. Waikato has the reputation for churning out high-quality crews, and this eight of theirs looks no different, expect to see them take out first place this weekend.
Waikato Diocesan School
Eventual second-place winners at the 2025 Maadi Regatta, this crew placed third in this event last time around, beating out club crews to take that final podium spot. Finishing just five seconds behind a stacked North Shore crew, this kick-started their campaign towards Maadi. Assuming they have a similar crew, they could well be fighting it out again with other club crews for a spot on the podium.
Waikato Rowing Club ‘B’
Showcasing this club’s tremendous amount of depth, it’s entirely likely that Waikato Rowing Club could enter a competitive second eight to challenge other top crews from the North Island. With Waikato’s second eight taking fourth in this event last year, almost 30 seconds ahead of fifth, it shows the quality that this club can pump out into the NZ rowing scene. Should Waikato enter a second eight, they will be in a good position to fend off challengers from their first crew and maybe even earn themselves a medal.
Prediction
This event is shaping up to be one to watch following an exciting buildup in the season. In typical fashion, expect to see Waikato Rowing Club up in that first position. A one-two is entirely likely for Waikato, but don’t dismiss other clubs, such as North Shore, and possibly a school crew in the mix, like Waikato Dio.
