Rowing's coveted Centennial Oar has a new home, only days after it was awarded to the wrong club at the national championships.
The Nelson Rowing Club was in celebratory mood yesterday when learning it had belatedly been awarded the oar for the first time in the tiny club's126-year history.
The symbol of interclub supremacy was inadvertently given to the powerful Waikato club at Lake Ruataniwha near Twizel last Saturday after an official miscalculated the distribution of points.
The error was picked up by Rowing New Zealand officials on Monday and the news was shared with the affected clubs.
The updated allocation of points left Nelson giddy with delight on 397 points, ahead of Waikato on 383 and Auckland third on 355.
Nelson president Warren Amos likened the result to Nelson Bays winning the Ranfurly Shield.
"Clubs like Waikato have dominated the oar competition for the last 20 to 30 years. We were always thought of as an outside runner to pick it up this year," Amos said.
While the larger clubs were particularly strong in the premier classes, Nelson had no crews at that level but excelled in the other classes as their rowers won five national titles and picked up six seconds and seven third placings.
"It's a great day for all the smaller clubs who are struggling away in the background," Amos said.
His only disappointment was the fact Nelson's rowers and coaches were denied the opportunity to receive the acknowledgement of their peers at Lake Ruataniwha.
"No one holds any grudges though."
Nelson sent just 27 rowers to Twizel while Waikato boasted more than 60.
