Rowing: Olympic star Kerri Williams confirms attendance at Whanganui’s Billy Webb Challenge

Tokyo Olympics women's coxless pair champion Kerri Williams (née Gowler) - pictured with partner Grace Prendergast (left) - is coming to the 2023 Rigtec Billy Webb Challenge.

Olympic rowing champion Kerri Williams (née Gowler) is heading to Whanganui for the 2023 Rigtec Billy Webb Challenge.

Whanganui Rowing Association, in association with Rigtec Engineering and Whanganui Vintage Weekend Trust, has confirmed the 2023 event will start and finish on the Whanganui River adjacent to the silver ball sculpture, by the Paddle Steamer Waimarie launch area, on Sunday, January 22, starting at 11am.

“The Rigtec Billy Webb Challenge is a crowd favourite that celebrates the incredible achievements of William ‘Billy’ Webb defending his world single sculling title on the Whanganui River in 1908, and we are delighted that Billy’s descendent Mark Webb, owner of Rigtec, has generously come on board as our naming sponsor in 2023,” former Olympian and Whanganui Rowing Association president Philippa Baker-Hogan said.

Rigtec provides rowing rigging equipment as well as other precision engineering products, Webb said.

“The dedication and precision required to perform at the level of Billy Webb in 1908 - and Whanganui’s adopted favourite rower, double Olympic gold-medallist Mahé Drysdale, over 100 years later - are highly-valued trademarks of Rigtec Engineering, and we are delighted to come on board as the naming sponsor in 2023,” he said.

Baker-Hogan, who is also the event manager in 2023, said she was delighted to announce that Williams, the 2020 (2021) Tokyo Olympic Champion in the women’s coxless pair and silver-medallist in the women’s eight, had confirmed her attendance at the event.

Williams said she was “very proud to be a Whanganui girl”, and was rapt to be able to finally come and enjoy the prestigious rowing race in her town. With a strong connection to her Aramoho Whanganui Rowing Club, she was very keen to cheer on their rowers in particular.

The fastest male and female rowers will win the Billy Webb Trophy and the Philippa Baker-Hogan Trophy respectively, getting their names inscribed with the likes of Olympic champions and medallists Mahé Drysdale, Olaf Tufte, Kim Brennan (née Crow) and Brooke Donoghue. There will be a $500 first prize each, with cash prizes to 10th place prognostic. All boat types, except coxed eight and octuple, can win cash, but only single scullers can win the major trophies and cash.

Further details are available at www.billywebbchallenge.co.nz, with entries now open.