Rowers hot despite chilly conditions

CHILL FACTOR: Tony Upchurch and Pat Spriggens grin despite the freezing conditions on Lake Ruataniwha, Twizel, at the New Zealand Masters Rowing Championships last weekend.PHOTO/SUPPLIED 25092015WCSUPTONY

A small team of six rowers from the Aramoho Wanganui Rowing Club attended the 2015 Bankstream New Zealand Masters Rowing Championships last weekend, but they made a big noise.

Racing in freezing conditions on Lake Ruataniwha near Twizel as the snow on the nearby mountains saw temperatures plummet, while having a disrupted build-up as they deal with their severely flood-damaged clubrooms, AWRC still came home with 13 medals.

They won nine gold, a silver and three bronze, which included sweeping all the boat classes - single, double, pair, four, quad and eight - in the Men's F Grade for 60-65 year olds.

The eights medal was won in composite with four Southland rowers.

AWRC's Richard Brock, Trevor Rush, Pat Spriggens and Tony Upchurch combined to dominate this grade, with Brock and Rush each winning gold medals in all six events entered, including the F and G grade singles.

Spriggens and Upchurch combined with sisters Steph and Jacs Rush to add a gold in the mixed quad and a silver in the mixed four, along with their own gold and three further bronzes in doubles and pairs.

AWRC's Luke Watts and Hugh Pawson were also in Twizel, racing for Victoria University in the Tertiary regatta.

They also achieved a 100 per cent success rate, with Watts winning gold in the single sculls and then combining with Pawson to win the double sculls, coxed four and coxed eight.

While the Saturday weather was tough with the cold southerly and rough water, the Sunday was a little easier as the wind died away, although the chill factor was still high.

AWRC will now get back to fixing up their clubrooms to try to have them ready for the upcoming summer season.

-Anyone wishing to contribute can visit the website pages givealittle.co.nz/cause/wanganuirowingfloodrelief /givealittle.co.nz/cause/helparamohowanganuirowing#