Rowing: Grammar ends Hamilton Boys' mastery

Waikato Diocesan's champion under-18 eights. Photo / Alan Gibson

Auckland Grammar has been toiling 19 years for a second Maadi Cup title.

The wait ended at Lake Karapiro on Saturday when New Zealand's blue riband secondary schools rowing titles changed hands.

Auckland Grammar ended Hamilton Boys' High School's four-year unbroken run in the Maadi Cup under-18 eights final.

It was Grammar's second Maadi title, after 1992, and they won the Springbok Shield in the coxed four final for the first time. Second placing in the under-17 eights and victory in the under-16 event suggest a bright future.

The four boys in the Springbok Shield final - Adam Smith, Louis van Velthooven, Karl Kennedy and Jesse Fyfe - doubled up as part of the eight, while Smith and van Velthooven also combined for silver in the coxless pair.

But Grammar's achievements were upstaged by Waikato Diocesan, who plundered the girls' trophy chest by winning 10 A finals to lift the Star Trophy as most successful school.

Rangi Ruru of Christchurch were defending their Levin Jubilee Cup crown in the under-18 eights, but trailed in a disappointing last.

Waikato won in 6m 46.40s, a resounding 6.33s clear of Christchurch Girls High with Oamaru's St Kevins College crew in third.

At the finish line, Grammar were almost three seconds clear of Christ's College, who put up a strong showing for second in the boys' final, Grammar clocking 5m 55.72s, with Westlake Boys High third. Hamilton was sixth.

Grammar's director of coaching, Bruce Jones, was delighted with the outcome of both the regatta overall and the eights final.

"We knew Hamilton would fly out of the start if they were going to win it and try to upset us in some way," he said last night.

"Our guys ignored that, focused on our plan for the race and stuck to it to a tee."

Four of the Grammar eight are expected to return next season and, combined with other encouraging results in the younger age categories, the signs are encouraging.

"Overall in the eights, we're looking pretty good," Jones said.

Waikato Diocesan produced an outstanding campaign, winning the eights titles at under-15, 16 and 17 to underpin the achievement of the under-18 eight.

They won the coxed four titles at three age groups, and that helped Waikato Diocesan romp away with the Star Trophy, 27 points clear of St Peters School of Cambridge, with Grammar, Hamilton BHS and Christchurch's St Margaret's College sharing third on 21 points.

The under-18 single scull titles went to Riordan Morrell of Rotorua's Western Heights High School, who won by a solid six seconds, and Tessa Young from Invercargill's James Hargest High School, who had a far narrower squeak, pipping Waikato Diocesan's Hannah Osborne by 1.06s.

The 48 A titles were shared among 23 schools, ranging geographically from Invercargill's James Hargest High and Verdon College to Auckland Grammar, Westlake Boys High and Kings College.