Rowing: Success for Whanganui rowers at North Island Championships

Whanganui Collegiate School men's intermediate coxed quad scull who won gold at the 2023 North Island Championships (from left) Mitch Karatau, Keegan Hanekom, Ben Poulton, Tyler Weyburne, Jack Walker (cox), and coaches Daniel McSweeny and Tyler Scott. Photo / Supplied

Whanganui rowers scooped a fistful of medals and featured in 72 finals at the 2023 North Island Rowing Championships at Lake Karapiro.

The four clubs within the Whanganui Rowing Association — Aramoho-Whanganui Rowing Club, Union Boat Club, Whanganui Collegiate Rowing Club and Clifton Rowing Club (Taranaki) — competed against 54 clubs/schools and a total of 2062 competitors at the championships on January 28-30.

The Whanganui clubs made 41 A finals, 19 B finals and 12 C finals, winning seven gold medals, 10 silvers and six bronzes.

The most successful rower from the region was Clifton’s Madison Neale with two gold medals (women’s club and senior double scull) and a bronze in the women’s club single scull. Aramoho-Whanganui was the second club overall, making 17 A finals and winning three gold, six silver and three bronze medals.

Aramoho-Whanganui Rowing Club women's intermediate octaple (from left) Stella Perry, Charlotte Matthews, Lily-Rose Flack, Keira Barnett, Samantha Rooke, Hazel Engert-Rogers, Bea Douglas, Robyn van Dijk, Morgan Wood (cox), and Allan Luff (coach). Photo / Supplied

Gold medals went to the following crews and rowers:

Whanganui Collegiate: Men’s intermediate coxed quadruple scull (Tyler Weyburne, Ben Poulton, Keegan Hanekom, Mitch Karatau, Jack Walker — cox).

Aramoho-Whanganui Rowing Club: Women’s club coxless quad scull (Robyn Van Dijk, S Lapointe — Gisborne, Messina Su’a, Reeve Watson); men’s senior coxless quad scull (Luke Shannon, Tom Monaghan, Axel Dickinson, Gabriel Reynold); men’s club coxless four (Dan Dutton-Smith, Ethan Clark, Henry Fraser, Alfie Wynter — UK).

Clifton Rowing Club: Women’s senior double scull (Madison Neale, Sophia Hodson); women’s club double scull (Madison Neale, Jill Zwart); women’s novice double scull (Rose Berghan, Jesse Pulford).

Whanganui Rowing’s next events are the 2023 Downer NZ Masters Games indoor and outdoor rowing. Clubs are now in final preparations for the 2023 NZ Rowing Championships at Lake Ruataniwha, Twizel, from February 14-18, after which the secondary schools season kicks in, culminating in the Aon Maadi Cup at Lake Karapiro, from March 27 to April 1.