Rowing: Rotorua crews chase glory at Maadi regatta

The National Secondary Schools Rowing Championships, affectionately known as the Maadi Cup, are under way in the pristine splendour of Lake Karapiro in Cambridge.

Rotorua rowing crews should be confident competing at this year's event after winning three golds and a bronze at the recent North Island Secondary Schools Champs.

Maadi held on alternate years at Lake Ruataniwha (Twizel) and Lake Karapiro and is the biggest schools regatta in the Southern Hemisphere.

This week, more than 1800 competitors from 120 schools nationwide are competing, making up 1300 crews in more than 400 races.

The Maadi Cup, the blue riband race for the senior boys' under-18 eights, was a tense affair last year.

Christ's College, Westlake Boys' High School and defending champions Auckland Grammar were all in hot form going into the final.

However, despite having a lighter crew, it was Christ's College who prevailed ahead of a fast finishing Auckland Grammar.

The girls' under-18 eights have competed for the Levin Trophy since 1981, when the regatta was held at Lake Horowhenua to celebrate the 75th Jubilee of the Levin Borough Council.

St Margaret's College from Christchurch won last year, finishing more than two seconds ahead of Waikato Diocesan School and St Peter's School.

The Springbok Shield is the prize for the boys' under-18 coxed fours and is made from segments of all the wood from South Africa.

It was first rowed for in 1965 when Hamilton Boys' High School won and dominated the event for six consecutive years until Auckland Grammar snatched victory in 2011.

Last year, Marlborough Boys' College were the bolters, storming home to win and record the school's only podium finish at the regatta.

While these famous races get most of the attention at the Maadi Cup regatta, perhaps the greatest kudos goes to the winner of the Star Trophy for the most points accumulated from podium finishes.

Last year, the top rowing school in New Zealand was St Peter's School from Cambridge, who won four golds, five silvers and two bronze medals.

St Margaret's College were second and Auckland Grammar third.

The best of the Bay of Plenty schools was Tauranga Boys' College in seventh place.

One of the Rotorua crews to look out for is the Western Heights High School girls' under-17 coxed quad of Alice West, Olivia Ashby, Hannah Cox, Stacey Tamblin and cox Phoebe Johnston.

The crew won gold at the North Island Champs and will look to attack from the start and appear confident of doing well at this year's nationals.

Along with Western Heights, John Paul College and Rotorua Lakes High School have strong crews attending this week's regatta. The event runs until Saturday.

Maadi Cup facts

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  The Maadi Cup is possibly the most difficult of all senior school sporting competitions to win. Since 1947, only 14 schools have held it high, with Wanganui Collegiate School ahead with 17 victories and last year's winners Christ's College next best with 10.