This article was written before the release of the entry draw due to the late release of supplementary entries.
With the 2026 rowing season well underway, the Christmas Regatta truly establishes the who’s who in North Island rowing. Lake Karāpiro has hosted two regattas to provide an opportunity for the big boys’ eights. The Open Men’s eight is a pinnacle event in the New Zealand Rowing landscape – a final chance before the refresh of the new year to cement some pre-determined dominance in this category. However, early days can suggest little evidence in squad strength, as larger clubs generally adopt an experiential approach to racing in early-season competitions, mixing eights to create ‘in-squad’ competition. The event will be a likely showcase for the strength in Waikato Rowing Club’s Senior men’s programme. We should also see several other usual suspects in the North Shore Rowing Club, and additional underdogs, St Georges Rowing Club. Conversely, the schoolboy crews of both Hamilton Boys’ High School and last year’s Maadi Cup winners, Westlake Boys High School, could make some noise.
Waikato Rowing Club
The go-to picks of the North Island, Waikato, are an obvious contender. Considering the previous two regattas of this racing season, Waikato have managed to stay undefeated. This partly lends itself to a name that needs no explanation to the readers: ex-New Zealand athlete and international medalist, Karl Manson. From a renowned family of rowing prowess and rich sculling history, this has undisputedly done its job for the squad. will. Manson recently raced the Men’s Championship double at the Head of the Charles, placing second, proving he’s still got it. And, in a club that is notorious for its North Island dominance, but with several new faces and rising stars, experience will be needed. Alongside Manson, Waikato have several athletes in the premier grade who are equally familiar in the elite rowing systems, with Alex Fletcher, from the 2025 U23 Men’s pair, and Callum Tutbury and Jack Cooper, who are both currently in the pre-high-performance pathway. Another likely candidate for one of the eight oars in the boat is Charles Beale, debuting with Waikato for the season. Charles holds a dominant performance in his 2025 season with Avon Rowing Club, with convincing gold placements in the Men’s Club four and eight. Waikato will be eager to stake a claim in Avon’s winning streak in the Men’s Senior eight at the club nationals, as the club has not topped the podium since 2021.
North Shore Rowing Club
While North Shore have not raced in the prior regatta, previous results suggest the squad are close to the Waikato dominance. The club contended between Waikato Rowing Club’s open eights at the Memorial Regatta at the beginning of November, finishing second between Waikato ‘A’ and ‘B’. Less than three seconds separated the three crews. Alongside this, the club is joined up-and-comers, George Langley and Jack Buckley. Both of whom had a widely successful final rowing season at Westlake Boys High School, winning the gold trifecta in the U18 sweep events at Maadi, and Buckley competing in the U19 New Zealand Men’s eight in Lithuania. They are followed by Westlake alumni, Callum Booth and Tadhg Farac, both decorated athletes,from last season’s bronze-medal winning Men’s Senior coxless four at the New Zealand Rowing Championships. Several of the North Shore athletes have recently participated in the Head of the Yarra Regatta in Melbourne. These results suggest a favourable performance for the club, and bring attention to what could be an early lead in the 2026 racing season for the Men’s Senior and Open eights.
St Georges Rowing Club
Potentially unfamiliar in name, St Georges Rowing Club boast threat given recent results. While some may argue a two-horse race between Waikato and North Shore, St Georges pose a stubborn new face in the eights. With a yield of successful athletes and 2025 Maadi Regatta medalists Ash Schutz and Blake Cooper, the crew will have an air of uncertainty regarding their abilities. It should be highlighted, the crew managed to proceed a winning Waikato crew with premier athletes by ten seconds at the Karāpiro Memorial Regatta.
Predictions
So, who’s going to be the North Island powerhouse into the New Year? Historically, Waikato are a safe bet in the event, considering squad depth, proximity to Rowing New Zealand and the resourced coaching team. It would be hard to discredit their strength, despite some freshness that opposes them from North Shore. But, simply put, Waikato will be the winners in the Men’s – in my opinion, at least. To have a highly resourced squad of athletes, many of whom regularly train in the high-performance programme, makes this claim indisputable. However, North Shore will have their moment to add some discourse to the mix and a potential upset to the familiar Waikato one-two result.
