by Jonathan Cameron

Rowers start 2020 with a splash

St Paul's rowing has been busy over the summer break! Teacher in charge of rowing, Fiona Stapleton, highlights St Paul's rowing achievements so far this season as they prepare for Maadi Cup.

Preparations for the 2020 season were already being made at the end of last year. Following the end of school, rowers went straight into a five-day training camp followed by the Christmas Regatta at Lake Karapiro. 

We have been fortunate enough to welcome our new Director of Rowing, Craig Peebles from the UK into the camp where he has spent time getting to know the rowers, coaches and families as well as NZ Rowing. 

The rowers were gifted a four-week break over summer and returned mid-January to a girls' five-day training camp at Hauraki Plains where great progress was made and then they went straight to Tihoi for a week. 

The boys have also been at Mangakino training for the week prior to school starting and the all rowers have been competing in the four-day North Island Club Competition rowing regatta from 26-28 January with excellent results. 

It was fantastic to see our rowers' hard work rewarded with 13 A finals and seven B finals with six crews on the podium receiving medals in age group and club grades. They have now increased to a minimum of ten training sessions per week as they head into the business end of the season with another camp, Junior Regatta, NISS Regatta and Maadi in the next seven weeks. 

We also have our annual Rowing Auction night which is a wonderful evening full of great items, food and laughs held at the school dining hall on Friday 6 March. Tickets are available from the St Paul's Rowing Committee and everyone is welcome.