If you happened to be strolling down the shores of Sydney International Regatta Centre this weekend, you might chance to look across the man-made lake to see a squad of single scullers racing down the course. If you happened to know little about rowing, you might assume that they are having a lovely time gliding across the course, just casually slicing their blades into the glassy water. If you do know a bit more about rowing however, you could pick that this is actually a heated race between some of the states’ best school aged athletes, and you can comprehend the weeks of work that they have put into their training, and you can understand how much effort they are putting through their boats right now in order to achieve complete and glorious victory.
Like any schoolboy event, the schoolboy single at the NSW All Schools Championships promises to demonstrate some of the best male sculling of the regatta. This particular event promises to be a cracker of a race, with some athletes, including previous and current national champions, travelling from interstate to compete for the title.
Canberra Grammar – Benjamin McGregor
Travelling up from the ACT with Canberra Grammar, Benjamin McGregor has a full regatta planned to demonstrate his talent, racing not just the schoolboy single, but also the schoolboy four, schoolboy eight, and school mixed eight. Benjamin has plenty of positive racing experience, having won the school’s first four and placed third in the school’s first eight at the 2025 NSW Schoolboy Head of the River. However, while he is undeniably a sweep powerhouse, sculling is a different game, so it will be interesting to see how his skills stack up against those of the other boys.
Marist College – Mitchell Wadie
Also from the ACT, Mitchell Wadie, the current national champion in the schoolboy quad, will be looking to avenge his narrow loss of the schoolboy single at the ACT Head of the Lake in March. At the time of racing, he will have already rowed a no doubt close warm-up race in the quad against another of his competitors, Hamish Wise. But considering the doubtless high stakes of defending their title in the quad race, will Mitchell be too fatigued to give this race his all?
St Augustine’s – Hamish Wise
Rowing for St Augustine’s, Hamish Wise, will be looking to use his small boat experience to hold off the interstate competition. Having placed third in the schoolboy double in last season’s NSW Schoolboy Head of the River, he also has experience rowing at national events, where he placed third in the schoolboy coxed eight sprint this year, and first in the same category the year before. This race will be his second for the day, as he will be challenging Mitchell in the quad earlier on. Depending on how that race turns out, this could be his chance for redemption or an opportunity to cement his victory.
Prediction
With such a strong, experienced field filled with proven champions and up-and-comers, this should be quite the race to watch. After a swift and decisive start, I suspect that we will see all three scullers pull to the front of the pack by the 1000m mark, with Benjamin McGregor using his strength and racing experience just to steal the lead. In the second half of the race, however, I foresee that he will be overtaken by skilful sculler Mitchell Wadie from Marist College in the last 500m, leaving the St Augustine’s student Hamish Wise picking up bronze.
