Rowing: Top rower happy to take it as red

Golf's most famous fashion accessory is the green jacket, won by the US Masters champion, but in New Zealand rowing it is a red jacket that the elite athletes cherish the most.

The jacket is awarded to rowers after they win their first title at the New Zealand Championships and in February it was finally Zoe Stevenson's chance to slip the striking jacket on after she was part of the winning women's premier quadruple sculls crew that included club mate Genevieve Armstrong.

"It has taken me a while to get one in my wardrobe, and this year I finally got one and then won another title in the double sculls.

"It is a special thing to have as a kind of signal that you have won a national title. It was something I was searching for, for a while, so it is wonderful to win one."

Stevenson, daughter of Herb Stevenson who represented New Zealand in rowing and primarily in the eights in the 1980s, followed her New Zealand titles by winning gold at the women's double scull in late March in the World Rowing Cup regatta held in Sydney.

Stevenson was one of the Tauranga Rowing Club's elite rowers honoured at a special fundraising auction and prizegiving dinner held on Saturday night. Along with Curtis Rapley, she was named Most Outstanding Club Oarsperson of the Year.

The six Tauranga members of the New Zealand high performance squad based in Cambridge came over to support the club that has done so much for them.

"It is always cool for us to get back to the Tauranga Rowing Club and see everybody and to celebrate the successes we have going round," said Stevenson.

"It comes down to club spirit and we have some good rowers coming through. The club numbers are starting to build up lately and Alex [Hatwell] has done heaps of that. He has done really well since taking over as club captain to build the numbers up and the club dynamic. There is such a great bunch of people down there."

Stevenson has a busy time ahead racing and training in Europe for the rest of 2013.

"We have more winter training coming up in Karapiro until June 21 and then we travel to Amsterdam for the Holland Beker Regatta, and then we train in Belgium, and then we are off to Switzerland where we meet up with the other half of the New Zealand rowing squad for the third World Cup in Lucerne.

"Exciting times ahead, for sure."