College sport: Dedicated Diocesan's boat comes in at last

By JENNI RUTHERFORD

A school team who, by their own coach's admission, were "radically out the back door," have made it to the forefront of Auckland rowing.

Diocesan School for Girls were barely skimming the surface last year, but flooded the girls' section with talent at Saturday's Head of Harbour regatta at Lake Pupuke.

Their sole entry in last year's competition came third in the under-17 eights. This time they were not left in the opposition's wake.

Westlake have dominated Auckland schoolgirl rowing for 15 years, but Diocesan coach Greg Reid is confident his team of 35 girls are now in the same league.

"They have total dominance in the North Island. They are the ones to beat," he said.

The Epsom school won 10 titles. They beat Westlake in the under-19 girls eight, under-19 coxed quad and under-16 eight. They were second to the North Harbour school in the under-17 eight.

Westlake were impressive in the under-19 pair, double and single sculls, winning all three.

Diocesan's success did not come easily. The largely junior squad train eight times a week.

Reid introduced an innovative heart-rate-based training regime. The girls are up at 5.30 am six times a week to row on the misty Tamaki Estuary, and train inside on rowing machines for two more sessions.

"Their whole body shape has changed. You wouldn't know they were the same people who started training in June," said Reid. "They're athletes now."

The boys' senior section was a largely three-way affair between King's College, Auckland Grammar and St Kentigern College.

Grammar fended off King's to win the under-19 fours and eights.

St Kentigern won the under-19 boys double and King's were first in the under-19 single sculls.

The schools get a chance to repeat the feats this weekend at the Te Awamutu regatta.

RUGBY

Auckland schools have established a rugby commissioner to stop colleges poaching 1st XV talent.

The first appointment to the position, which will be tested for one year, is retired Sacred Heart College principal Brendan Schollum.

His job will be to oversee the registration of players into the 1st XV 1A/B competition.

The initiative means teams in those secondary schools can field a maximum of five players who were new to the school in the previous or current year of competition.

Dispensations will be needed for any more than that.

Rob Boston, executive director of the Auckland Secondary Schools Heads' Association, said it was an attempt to bring integrity and balance to the Auckland 1st XV competition.

Principals sign a charter in which they agree to "ensure that no player from another school is encouraged to change schools in any one year to participate in future events."

The heads are encouraged to discuss any decision by a student to move to another school, to ensure they are agreed on what is best for the boy or girl.

That avoids a situation where a top senior sporting talent departs without the principal being aware of the student's intention to leave.

Last year, James Cook High School complained to the association that one of its best rugby players had been poached by another Auckland school.

This week:

Friday: Auckland: junior waterpolo, premier boys volleyball.

Saturday: Auckland: premier grade cricket, tennis.

North Harbour: grade cricket.

Te Awamutu schools rowing regatta, Lake Ngaroto.

Saturday and Sunday: North Island secondary schools waterpolo championships, Hamilton.

Monday: North Harbour: zone one swimming.

Auckland: girls premier grade volleyball.

Tuesday: Auckland: Touch rugby, central east zone 2 swimming.