Whanganui rower Messina Su’a picked for New Zealand Universities crew

Messina Su'a will be up against the Australian Universities eight in July.

Messina Su’a’s rowing career is going from strength to strength.

The former Whanganui High School deputy head prefect has secured a place in the New Zealand Universities women’s eight crew, which will do battle against its Australian counterpart in Brisbane in July.

The crews were selected following the New Zealand Universities Rowing Championships at Lake Ruataniwha over Easter weekend.

Su’a featured in five University of Otago women’s crew combinations and secured four podium finishes, including two gold medals.

She is currently studying first-year health and science.

Previously, Su’a spent four years rowing for Whanganui High School and the Aramoho Whanganui Rowing Club and was in the two-seat of the Aramoho women’s coxless quad, which won a silver medal at the New Zealand Rowing Championships in February.

Aramoho Whanganui Rowing Club director of rowing Axel Dickinson said Su’a had the dedication as well as the physical and mental strength to progress further up the ladder of her rowing career.

“Messina is only 18 years of age and was selected to trial for the New Zealand under-21 team this year, and obviously has another two years to aspire to this next level,” Dickinson said.

Joining her in the Universities eight is former Whanganui Collegiate rower Phoebe Collier, who is now in Canterbury.

Aramoho Whanganui Rowing Club secretary Grader Howell said the success of Su’a and Collier, who was originally from Taihape, showed that rowers from smaller, provincial centres could progress towards higher honours.

“Whanganui High School has had some good success recently and Collegiate is still really active,” Howell said.

“That’s great to see, but having more local schools involved would make things more vibrant and bring more local competition.”