With an action-packed couple of days of racing just wrapped up, all we can say is: what a showing the South Island put on for us. As the new year opener, the crews had all completed their respective Christmas training blocks, and the pressure is clearly building in anticipation of the sharp end of the season. So, let’s take a look at the standouts from the weekend.
Avon Rowing Club
One can hardly talk about rowing in the South Island without mentioning Avon Rowing Club. A complete whitewash in the Men’s Premier Coxless Four, Women’s Premier Coxless Pair, Men’s Premier Coxless Pair, and Men’s Premier Eight saw a hugely talented Avon Rowing Club win or take the whole podium in the aforementioned events. Such pedigree in these events is not unusual for Avon, but the club has gone from strength to strength in sweep rowing, making them a fearsome club to compete with come the New Zealand Rowing Champs. Matthew Glen and Henry Kirk returned to winning ways, with a two-second margin victory in the Premier Pair over compatriots Shackleton and Wilson. A valiant effort in the Premier Coxless Quad saw all three Avon entries fall short, with Dunstan completely dominating the event with a triple podium. This may have marked the last effort by Avon to get a quad into a winning position, but despite their past shortcomings, it seems the club has persistently pushed the needle in building both a strong sculling and a sweep squad.
Dunstan Arm
Currently the pre-eminent sculling club in the country, Dunstan Arm has posted times and results unmatched throughout New Zealand. A large part of their talent lies in attracting ex-schoolboy rowers to the club, thanks to its ability to foster development among junior athletes. Their dominance continued in the Premier Single Scull, where they won six of eight places in the A-final, placing first to fourth. On the Women’s side, the two Dunstan quads were well clear of the two entries from Avon, placing first and second in the Women’s Premier Coxless Quad. A triple podium in the Men’s Premier Double Scull saw the athletes from the Single Scull continue their dominance, converting their top-six finishes into top-three finishes when teaming up. Déjà vu continued for Dunstan – triple podium in the Men’s Premier Coxless Quad and Women’s Premier Double seems now to be a regular occurrence for the club. A continuation of this form bodes well for the club, but it already looks as if a monopoly over South Island sculling has been established. It will be interesting to see how Dunstan matches up to the North Island giants in Waikato come the NZ Championships.
Girls’ U19 Eight
In the U19 Eight, it looked like a familiar story with Christchurch Girls, Rangi Ruru and St Margaret’s College atop the podium once more. Similar margins lay between the three crews on the podium, with Christchurch Girls making a charge into the U18 Eight – an event they were absent from in the 2025 Maadi Regatta. South Island schools dominated the U18 Eight at the last Maadi regatta, and with the red-hot form the leading South Island crews currently have, there is a very real chance of a similar story this year.
Boy’s U19 Eight
The Boys’ U19 Eight was a different story altogether, with the margin between first and second extremely tight, and the margin back to third place quite some distance. It was no surprise that St Bede’s and Christ’s College featured in the A-final, with the schools placing first and second respectively. Out of the South Island, St Bede’s holds real potential to challenge the current U17 Eight winners, King’s College, and the in-form Auckland Grammar. Similarly, Christ’s College is no stranger to winning, with a similar crew winning the U16 Eight over King’s just two seasons ago. Timaru Boys was some distance back in third place, and has been a school that has grown their sweep program in the past few seasons.
Conclusion
It was a tale of two clubs in the Premier divisions of the regatta, with Avon absolutely dominating the sweep side, and Dunstan dominating the sculling. In terms of schoolboy/girl sweep, it was once again the traditional schools in St Bede’s and Christ’s College on the boys’ side, and Christchurch Girls and Rangi Ruru on the girls’ side. The South Island looks particularly strong this year, especially with the rise in levels that Avon and Dunstan have brought this season. This year will be an interesting one to watch for the NZ Champs, as it has been a while since the South Island looked this strong.
