On Friday the 27th, the rowing squad traveled up to Twizel for the first regatta of the season, Aoraki Club Regatta.

This regatta was very beneficial for all the girls, both novices and seniors, gaining some experience and getting some racing under our belt before our bigger, upcoming regattas. This regatta was raced over 1000 meters compared to our usual 2000-metre racing. 

On Saturday, the girls raced in 27 different heats across the day trying to get a place in the final. This saw 18 of the crews making it into a final! The day started off quite cold but grew beautifully warm. The finals on Sunday were very successful for all crews. Starting off the morning supporting the All Blacks in the final against South Africa, we followed up with one of the highlight races for Columba, having the U16 Coxed Fours taking away 1st, 2nd, and 3rd in the A final!! It was a very successful first weekend away for the squad. A big thank you goes to former captain, Bridgette, for stepping in to help us and our coaches. 

Last weekend, Otago University Rowing Club held their annual Indoor Erg Champs. This competition consisted of three different events within their respective age categories, 2000m, 500m sprint, and the team relay. Columba had a range of girls competing, from novices to U17s, all receiving some fantastic results. Poppy, U17, came away with 3rd place in the 2000m mixed U17 and U19 race. Cameryn U16, Charlee U15, and Sophie U15, coming away with an impressive 1st, 2nd and 3rd place in the 2000m mixed U15 and U16 race. Columba also had a team competing in the 2000m relay event in which they placed third; this team consisted of half seniors and half novices: Poppy, Cameryn, Charlee, and Siobhan. It has been a very busy couple of weeks for the squad. Watch this space for more to come! Thank you to Pen Edmond for the photos. 

 Sara and Olivia.