Rowing: Waikato pot of gold

Waikato now reigns supreme in secondary school rowing after Hamilton Boys' High School blitzed the field in the featured Maadi Cup under-18 eights. Two days earlier, Hamilton had won the Springbok Shield, while under-18 four and fellow Waikato school Sacred Heart Girls' College were second in the girls' eight.

Sacred Heart also won the girls' under-18 fours, while other schools from the region picked up a multitude of medals, proving that the power-base of the sport is following the exploits of the region's Olympic heroes, Rob and Sonia Waddell and the Evers-Swindell twins.

Raced at Lake Karapiro in front of thousands, Hamilton Boys' High dominated from the early stages before they sped away from the rest of the field at the halfway mark and finished in 5min, 53sec.

Defending champs, Wanganui Collegiate were second, more than a length behind in 5min, 59sec, while St Kentigern College powered home third in 6min, 1sec.

Former Olympic rower and coach of Hamilton Boys, Ian Wright, couldn't watch the first part of the Maadi Cup as he was too nervous - but he praised his crew, Jonathan Armstrong, Simon Taylor, Carl Finlay, Kiel Mans, Adam Grenside, Clinton Stockman, Daniel Peart, Graeme Hill and cox Peter Walter. He said he was stunned by the their dominance.

"It's excellent. Amazing. It's been the goal for four years. It was nice to pick up the Springbok Shield," he said.

Wright felt that the finishing margin was justified in the way his boys rowed. "I wanted a nice, clinical display and they put one on." It was the first win in the Maadi Cup for Hamilton Boys since 1987.

In the girls' under-18 eight, Rangi Ruru beat Sacred Heart home in an exciting race which saw the South Island school surge ahead at the 500m mark to finish half a length and two seconds in front. Double defending champs St Margarets were third.

The previous day Sacred Heart Girls' College won the prized Dawn Cup, for the under-19 fours, for the first time, ahead of 2003 champions Rangi Ruru. They won by seven seconds, with Gisborne Girls third.

The Rangi Ruru team of Alexandra King, Kirsten Wyatt, Stacey Pigou, Susannah Nixon, Rebecca Johnson, Alexandra Burnside, Brylee Flutey, Lucinda Paterson and cox Lucy Ashford were ecstatic with the win.

In the Springbok Shield under-18 fours, Hamilton Boys won for the first time in 10 years with defending champs Wanganui Collegiate second and Christ's College third.

However the South Island school was disqualified when their coxswain weighed under the required limit after the race when made to take off his wet socks. Westlake, from the North Shore, were promoted to third.

Queen Charlotte College coach David Bugler celebrated with a double success in the under-18 single sculls as Joseph Sullivan defended his title nearly three seconds ahead of fellow school-mate Daniel Karena. Jade Uru of James Hargest was third.

Torrential rain hit the venue in mid-afternoon, making racing tough. The event has now grown almost too big to host at Karapiro or Lake Ruataniwha.

- HERALD ON SUNDAY