The men’s open single sculls is set to be a highlight of the South Australian Rowing Championships, bringing together the state’s fastest and most technically polished scullers.
The South Australian Rowing Championships continue to play an important role in shaping the state’s high-performance depth, providing athletes with a key benchmark as they progress through the domestic season and towards national-level racing.
At Adelaide University, a close showdown is set between key U23 and open athletes who have been training and racing together throughout the season. From the U23 squad, Oliver Evans-Wood, Jasper Boyce, Alexander Williams and Jude Schirmer will also be preparing for the NSW State Championships in a few weeks’ time, looking to build on recent success following their invitation to the Australian U23 Camp last December.
Oliver Evans-Wood is currently the reigning single scull champion, following his win at the January 2026 West Lakes Regatta, where he posted tight times in the final against teammate and doubles partner Jasper Boyce. Evans-Wood will likely start as the favourite in this race and will look to draw confidence from his recent results.
Jasper Boyce had a strong and closely contested battle with Evans-Wood throughout January racing, finishing just 0.43 seconds behind first place. This will no doubt be motivation heading into the weekend. Boyce has previously raced with Williams in the men’s U21 double scull at the 2025 Australian National Championships and was also part of the Men’s U21 quad that won by three seconds. This experience shows he will be a strong contender in the single scull — but will it be enough to challenge Evans-Wood?
Alexander Williams is an experienced sculler with strong depth in his performances, winning the U21 Quad with Boyce at the 2025 Australian National Championships. In 2024, he was selected in the Australian U19 team, where he won bronze in the men’s double scull at the U19 World Rowing Championships in St Catharines, Canada. He has produced solid performances this season, finishing third in the single scull in January and third in the double scull with Allan. While this season hasn’t been Williams’ strongest, he has remained competitive in a strong field and will be pushing for the top step of the podium.
Jude Schirmer, along with Evans-Wood and Boyce, was invited to the Rowing Australia Men’s U23 Camp in Penrith last December. Schirmer also produced strong results in 2025, placing third in the Men’s Single Scull at the UniSport Australia Nationals Regatta at Lake Wyaralong. Following a tie for fourth place with Hamish Allan at the most recent regatta, there will be little room for error in both the heats and final. With a high-performance field, this race will be important leading into U23 Trials in April, where Schirmer will be aiming for selection.
Hamish Allan brings experience to the field and will be looking to challenge the younger U23 athletes. Allan represented Adelaide University at Wyaralong last year, winning bronze in both the men’s four with Williams and the men’s pair. After winning the quad sprint at last season’s Australian National Championships, Allan has also been recognised for his beach sprint potential following recent ergometer scores and selection to the Rowing Australia Camp in Penrith last December. After tying with Schirmer in January racing, Allan will be one to watch.
Prediction
With a mix of international, national and state-level athletes, as well as erg powerhouses, contesting the field, expect racing to be tight from the opening strokes through to the finish line. Margins are likely to be close, with Boyce predicted to take the win, Evans-Wood a tight second ahead of Williams in third, followed by Allan in fourth and Schirmer in fifth. With such a competitive field on race day, these athletes will be chasing momentum heading towards the NSW State Championships and Australian National Championships in March.
