Rowing row duo fail to make national trials

Jordan Kennedy competes at the 2015 Maadi Cup on Lake Karapiro after a court injuction allowed him to row. Photo / Simon Baker

Two boys who were banned from competing in the Maadi Cup rowing regatta after riding on the baggage carousel at Auckland Airport have missed out on national trials.

St Bede's College students Jordan Kennedy, 16, and Jack Bell, 17, were dumped from the school's rowing team for breaching Auckland Airport security on March 20 after riding the Jetstar carousel at the domestic terminal.

The school banned them from competing at the Maadi Cup regatta at Lake Karapiro, near Cambridge.

But the boys' fathers Shane Kennedy and Antony Bell were granted an urgent injunction from the High Court at Christchurch to allow their sons to row.

However, the pair's names weren't among nearly 100 high school pupils listed as New Zealand junior and under 18 South Island team trialists on its website on Sunday, The Press reported.

The national trial is at Lake Karapiro near Cambridge from April 12-18, and the South Island trial runs from April 10-12 at Lake Ruataniwha near Twizel.

Shane Kennedy and Rowing New Zealand declined to comment on the team selection.

Kennedy told The Press he would not speak to the newspaper again if it published a story about how the boys were not listed as trialists.

A spokeswoman for Rowing New Zealand said in an email that senior staff would not be reached for comment.

Police and the Aviation Security Service (Avsec) gave the pair formal warnings after the prank, which happened shortly after they arrived from Christchurch on March 20.

Crew mates encouraged the boys to jump on the carousel. One boy filmed their antics. The other boys were not punished.

The students had been left unsupervised while the coaches went to pick up a rental van.

It has since been revealed that the row would be settled out of court, one of the boy's parents said last week.