We have three new coaches joining the squad who you can read more about below.

Hannah Starnes (pictured above)A rower at secondary school in Nelson, Hannah Starnes has competed at RPC, NZ University and U21 level. After deciding she would rather return to rowing than continue her career as a cardiac physiologist, she started out coaching at Wellington College before returning to Nelson as Head Coach of Nelson College for Girls for four years. Hannah has been based in Cambridge for the last four years where she was coaching U19 and U21 crews for Rowing New Zealand during the winter. Hannah took up a role as Coach of the Junior Programme and then Head Coach at Waikato Rowing Club, becoming the first female lead coach of this high performing club. Hannah has recently moved to Marlborough with her partner who is in the Air Force and their young daughter and we couldn’t be happier to have her as our MGC lead coach for the coming season.

Joe Bennion

Joe Bennion has been the Assistant and Head Coach of the boys’ programme in Nelson - for both club and school athletes - for the past four seasons. He has worked closely with Hannah and had a close relationship with the Wairau Rowing Club. Joe has also coached and mentored Nelson-based athletes to assist them to represent New Zealand as Under 19 athletes. Joe’s other coaching experience includes working with the Senior Women at Otago University in preparation for the Uni Games in 2015, coaching both The Nassau Rowing Club and the youth athletes in The Bahamas, taking an athlete to the Youth Olympic Game Trials in Chile (2018). This year he also started his teaching career at Marlborough Girls’ College in the PE and Health Department. We are very pleased to be strengthening the connection between school and club with Joe on board.

Marion Horwell was one of the pioneers of women’s rowing in NZ. For her it’s all about the athletes and she loves being out on the water. She cares passionately about rowing and the people she coaches and always has the athletes’ best interests at heart. Marion began rowing for Tawa rowing club in the 1970s, eventually competing at four elite world championships at a time when women were only just starting to be included in the sport. Her coaching career began in Germany, then she returned to NZ to coach her daughter at Hillcrest High while completing a degree in sport and exercise science. From there she was selected to coach U21s, U23s and the elite women’s pair at the Athens Olympic qualifying regatta (that later finished sixth at the Olympics). Marion was Hannah’s coach and they are really excited to be working alongside each other. Marion is a highly skilled technical coach, an excellent pilates instructor and we are very grateful to have her extensive experience as part of the team.

Combined, these coaches bring a wealth of experience and knowledge and we look forward to the 2023/24 season ahead.

Marlborough Girls' College students with an interest in rowing are encouraged to come down to the Wairau Rowing Club after school from Monday 9th October to get in a boat and give it a go.