Rowing: Young novices help club retain cup

Hawke's Bay Rowing Club's women's novice eight give their all on day two of their club's annual New Year's regatta on Saturday. Photo/Paul Taylor

Hawke's Bay Rowing Club's reputation as a nursery for future national champions and Olympic Games representatives was enhanced yet again during the club's annual New Year's regatta at the weekend.

The club's novices, boys in particular, were prominent as the host club retained the Hawke's Bay Cup in emphatic fashion during the two-day event which attracted 230 rowers from clubs throughout the North Island to the Clive River. With 90 club members in action Hawke's Bay recorded 95 points, 41 more than nearest rivals Aramoho of Wanganui.

One of the Bay's novices, Lindisfarne College 16-year-old Jack Stone, was happy to reveal the secrets to their success which included wins in all of the novice boys eight, four and quad races.

"A huge commitment to training, quality coaching and a strong desire to be like our club's senior rowers who we all look up to," Stone explained.

"We know if we put in the work there is a chance of junior world championship selection in two years. There is also an opportunity for scholarships in the future."

"Yes we can make careers out of rowing," fellow first season competitor and Hastings Boys' High School 15-year-old Jack Campbell said.

A former Hawke's Bay under-13 basketball representative, Campbell, said he was looking for something new to try and opted for rowing.

"I still play basketball and was in the school's junior A team last year but rowing is the priority now."

Apart from a "bit of cricket" Napier Boys' High School 15-year-old Duncan MacErlich had no other sporting base before deciding to give rowing a crack. He combined with Stone to win the novice double.

"I find the fitness I get from rowing helps my cricket," Stone said.

The trio were full of praise for the coaching they receive from Mike "Trout" Trautvetter and Jeremy Coxon.

"We're here four times a week for three-hour trainings in all kinds of conditions. That's why we were pretty dominant this weekend ... after our Sunday morning trainings I have a big lunch and an equally big sleep," Stone added.

During the coming weeks the trio will tackle the North Island and national championships and depending on their form at these regattas may be selected for the prestigious Maadi Cup national secondary schools regatta.

One of the club's rowers, who has moved out of the novice ranks and won medals at numerous national regattas, Ashlea Quirk, won the women's single shootout. Hannah Bailey and William Sabiston took out the mixed double scull shoot out.

The club's club captain Ross Webb said the weekend's success followed 28 A final appearances at the Lake Karapiro regatta last month.

"We're on track for a good season. At the national champs we want to retain the top sculling title, improving our sweep ranking and be the No1 club," Webb said.

He added the club has benefited from the return to the Bay of former international coach Chris Nilsson. He is working with senior rower A J O'Connor, one of those the likes of Stone, Campbell and MacErlich look up to.

The club which produced the likes of Olympic and world champions Georgina and Caroline Evers-Swindell and Olympic representatives Emma Twigg and Adam Tripp, to name a few, is set to keep on doing so.