Indoor Rowing Inter House Championships 2014

Scott Bayne — January 1st, 2014

This year indoor rowing championships were held for the first time in the gym using the new projector and giant white board.

Once again, all the houses were well represented and the teams were in some cases very well prepared after a few weeks of pre training. With each of the Houses' boat projected on the giant white screen, the gym soon filled up with supporters and teams ready to do battle for the Challenge Cup which Toroa held after winning the Inter House Cross Country event in Term 3. Last year the honours went to Omimi who also broke two school records in the junior boys and girls races.

The aim of the event, other than to create a healthy inter-House rivalry, was to also try and beat the 2000m Olympic times of two of New Zealand’s best rowers, Mahé Drysdale and Emma Twigg. With over 150 spectators cheering on their House each race often proved to be closely fought battle although occasionally one “boat” seemed to spend more time sinking than racing!

The second race, the junior girls, was possibly one of the most exciting on ever. The lead changed hands many times and it took 1/100th of a second to separate them at the end.

The senior girls race was almost as close, the lead again changing hands many times with Omimi just winning by .7 of a second! Often the only real difference was how good the changeovers were when changing rowers.

However, there can be only one winner and this year the honours went to AORAKI!!! Who won two of the four events and a second and a third place. Therefore Aoraki go into the Christmas break as worthy winners of the Challenge Trophy. It will be up to them to defend it at next year first inter-House event, Sports Day! and for everyone else to try and snatch it from them. I am sure it will be a titanic struggle to prise Mr Fielding’s fingers from the trophy.