Young rowing combination secures Tonks Rowing Trophy

Tonks Trophy Champions 2024 – Bryn Morgan; Nicky Maxim (both AWRC); Xavier Warren (Glendowie College); Hunter Rowland (WCS); Joshua Cordini (AWRC); with Gus Scott (race organiser).

A total of 24 crews competed for the prestigious Richard Tonks Trophy on Sunday, October 13, in near-perfect water conditions and on an outgoing tide.

The course started at the Aramoho Whanganui Rowing Club pontoon with contestants racing downstream and turning at the Settlers Wharf before progressing back upstream to finish at the Whanganui Association Finish Box, on the upriver side of the Aramoho Railway Bridge.

Based upon prognostics, and in fact the fastest crew, was an under 17 boys crew comprising Nicky Maxim; Bryn Morgan, Joshua Cordini (all from AWRC), with guest rower Xavier Warren (from Glendowie College, Auckland) and Hunter Rowland (ex Whanganui Collegiate School) as coxswain, who took out the event in an overall time of 20:45:27 and a prognostic score of 93.96%.

Second placing place went to Bruce Tate (Union Boat Club) and Kevin Horan (Horowhenua) who competed in the Masters Men 60-64 age group as a composite double scull (prognostic 92.17%).

Aramoho Whanganui’s young sculling combination of Charlie Brougham and Achilles Paikea took out third place (prognostic 90.74%).

Youngest and oldest competitors – Nicky Maxim, 15, and Des Lock, 75.

With school holidays preventing the participation of Whanganui Collegiate School, it was pleasing to see both Aramoho Whanganui and Union Boat clubs enthusiastically supporting this fixture, with the Union Club affording a number of Wellington Club women rowers the opportunity to take part in a composite women’s eight which took out 11th placing.

It was possibly the last time that Emma Bagrie from Star Boat Club will participate on the Whanganui River for some time as she contemplates a move to the North Shore Club for the forthcoming season, before taking up a scholarship at Stanford University later in 2025.

Emma was a gold medal winner in the girls under 18 single and doubles, and a silver medallist in the under 18 girls quad at the Maadi Cup earlier this year.

She has represented New Zealand in the Junior Rowing Team for the last two seasons; at Paris in 2023 in the girls eight and at St Catherines, Canada, this year in the girls quadruple sculls. Emma combined with Robyn van Dijk (AWRC) as a senior double combination, and they took out sixth place overall.

The oldest competitor was Des Lock, who turned 75 years of age earlier this month and took out ninth placing overall with a prognostic score of 86.77%, demonstrating that “age is just a number!”

Des, represented New Zealand at the elite level many years ago, including the Montreal Olympics in 1976. He is now residing in Whanganui and continues to contribute significantly to both the Aramoho Whanganui Club and the Whanganui Rowing Association.

■ The next rowing event on the Whanganui River will be the historic Billy Webb Challenge which is scheduled for Sunday, October 27.