Last Sunday proved to be a busy day for St Bede’s Rowing, given the season is over. To help us with planning over the offseason we ran a “Have a Go Day’ down at our base of Stewart’s Gully on the Waimakariri River. We run a more relaxed program in the offseason, enabling rowers who are not playing winter sports to undertake some regular light training and for those that are in other codes the chance for some low impact fitness and technique sessions. For anyone interested contact Kerry Sullivan via email ksullivan@stbedes.school.nz

Later that evening we had our End of 2021/22 Season Prizegiving. A big thanks to Blair and Gabe McIntyre and the team at the Rowdy Kitchen for all the support they give us throughout the season, and the wonderful meal and support at the venue that they put on for the evening.

We were honored to have Father Earl Crotty attend the prizegiving and take part in the awarding of the caps for those rowers that earnt them. Father Crotty was instrumental in rowing in the 1960s at SBC and has always maintained an interest in the progress of SBC rowing over the years. He was particularly pleased to catch up with Nick Giera whom he fondly recalled catching up with the last time St Bede’s won the Maadi Cup in the early 1990s.

The award winners were:

Best Novice Rower - Bede Giera (Bede also picked up the Cant Rowing Assoc. Best Novice Trophy from their awards earlier that day)

David Lindstrom Cup - Most Enthusiastic Trainee - Luke Hickling

Derek Monaghan Memorial Cup - Most Improved Oarsman Outside the Senior Crew - Harry Cournane & Callum (CJ) Moore

The Bedean Club Cup Most Improved Oarsman in the Eight - Thomas Woodgate

Best Coxswain - Max Walsh

Giera Fours Cup - Best Rowing Four & Coxswain - U17 Crew - Sam Woodgate, Jack Dennehy-Coles, Sam Earl, Luke McBrydie & Liam Duff

Avon Cup - Best St Bede’s Oarsman - Luke Hickling

Presentation of Caps - Father Crotty - Sam Woodgate, Jack Dennehy-Coles, Matthew Glen & Luke Hickling

Our sponsors, committee and volunteers were also acknowledged in another well run event by our chair Kerry Walsh, who gives so much time to SBC Rowing.