KEY POINTS:
The Waikato Rowing Club took an immensely popular victory in the top event for coxed fours yesterday and, for the first time since 1998, the famous Boss Rooster trophy was repainted red, yellow and green.
That win in the fours could only have helped Waikato raise their game again for a great row in the championship eights, which they won by just over a length from Auckland RPC on Twizel's Lake Ruataniwha.
The coxed fours final saw the Waikato crew stroked by Eric Murray win by almost a length from holders Canaviron (Southern RPC), which included former world champion George Bridgewater.
After a win coach Brett Crow described as "a little unexpected", the crew's joy was obvious and they celebrated in style. Crow was later named Rowing New Zealand's Coach of the Year.
His big coxed four got the loudest cheer on the podium of the New Zealand championships before getting out their brushes and pots of paint and giving the old Boss Rooster trophy a traditional fresh lick of paint.
In the other finals on the last day, the Auckland RPC women's eight, containing 2005 world champions Nicky Coles and Juliette Haigh, took a popular win.
Tamsin Gilbert claimed the Tauranga club's first Red Coat since 1949 as part of the Auckland RPC women's eight.
Auckland beat a strong Waikato RPC crew that included Evers-Swindell twins Caroline and Georgina.
World champion Mahe Drysdale took the single and quad sculls titles, defeating Nathan Cohen in both. Drysdale also backed up in the eights for Auckland, who finished second to Waikato.
Caroline Evers-Swindell won the women's single sculls from the up and coming Emma Twigg.
Coles and Haigh dominated the coxless pairs with a great row against New Zealand squad opposition.
