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Masters Communications
Regular newsletters are produced to provide current information and updates to connect masters rowers.


2026 Trophy Winners - North Island Masters Championships, sponsored by C&R and ICIB Brokerweb Ltd.
Photos by Judy Shadbolt The recipients were: CONSTANZE DUELL, Bay of Plenty Coast: Womens A-D Single - Doctor Stuart Reid Cup DAN DE GROOT, Star Boating Club: Men's A-D Single - Stuart Wade Blade STEVE WESTLAKE, North Shore Rowing Club: Men's E-M Single - John Marshall Trophy 1892 JAMES AND MICHAEL BRAKE, North Shore Rowing Club: Men's A-D Double - Stuart Wade Blade BRITTANY SMITH AND AMANDA BADGER, West End Rowing Club: Women's A-D Double - Alexander Farmer 1924 Trophy BRUC
president7013
May 312 min read


2025 Under 19 Rowers - selected for U22 Oceania Team
Under 22 Coxed Four - silver winners at the Oceania Team Champs Australian, May 2026 Four of the 2025 Under 19 Award recipients were selected to represent the North Island in the U22 team to race at the recent Oceania Teams Champs in Australia in May 2026. They were Angalla Carney Blake Cooper Jack Buckley Nathan Strachan The team travelled an hour inland of Brisbane to Lake Wyaralong to race as a North Island team against the Australian State teams and the South Island. Anga
president7013
May 311 min read


World Masters Games 2027 in Kansai, Japan
As a passionate rower and club organizer, the thought of competing in the World Masters Games (WMG) fills me with excitement. Scheduled for May 14-30, 2027, in Japan's vibrant Kansai region, this event is a dream for masters athletes. While many associate Japan with Tokyo, the WMG is centered in Kansai – encompassing cities like Kyoto, Osaka, and Kobe – with rowing events at the stunning Lake Biwa in Shiga Prefecture. Read more HERE How to organise your Club? This guide will
Shaun Adams
May 314 min read


South Island Masters Nelson Lakes 2026
This year the event took place at Lake Rotoiti in Nelson Lakes National Park and saw 310 competitors from 26 clubs lining up for honours. With ANZAC day falling on Saturday, the weekend began with a short ceremony of remembrance and a rowing guard of honour. This was followed by the Craigs Investment Partners 5km race from the head of the lake back to the 1km course along Kerr Bay. Big boat honours went to AVON in the Mens 8, AWARUA in Mixed and the AUCKLAND RC Woman’s G 8. T
Tim Rogers
May 312 min read


Row Because You Love It !
(By Nicky Knowles, Cambridge Rowing Club) Nicky Knowles & Peter Fraser at Lake Rotoiti I am a mediocre rower. There, I said it — and honestly, I’m okay with that. Maybe it’s because I’m inherently a bit lazy at times and I lack motivation when life gets in the way perhaps? A conversation for a different time I feel Rowing is technically a very hard sport to master, especially when you didn’t start as a nimble teenager. In theory, once you have good technique and solid fitne
Nicky Knowles
May 34 min read


Para Rowing for Masters
Para rowing in New Zealand is predominantly masters participants. Ross Webb is working on recruitment into the youth section of clubs - April 25th is a have a go weekend in the Waikato. Some are new to rowing and others are switching from other codes. Some para rowers have been in the sport a long time like Ron Satherly, many are new to rowing aged 30-60. They all suffer from one thing - whatever ails them gives them consternation - either changes are needed to prosthetics or
rebeccacaroe
Apr 132 min read


2026 Head of the Harbour Regatta
Photo: Grant Craies leading the crew from the boat park. Photo Credit: Melanie Lo The famous Auckland schools regatta, Head of the Harbour, has started adding Masters events to the schedule. Run on Saturday 7th February there were strong entries in the Masters single sculls event with West End's Amanda Badger winning and Brittany Smith coming second. Honourable mention to the lone Cambridge Sculler. Jen Muller making the journey north. The masters Doubles event was also wo
Shaun Adams
Feb 91 min read


When Olympians Come to Town: The Blue Lake Regatta Controversy
A small regional rowing regatta in New Zealand has sparked an unexpected debate about what happens when elite athletes compete alongside weekend warriors. The Blue Lake Regatta, known for its relaxed atmosphere and community feel, recently hosted Olympic gold medallist Emma Twigg and fellow elite rowers Finn Hamill, Matt Dunham, and Michael Brake competing in a range of events including mixed masters eight, quad and double. Their participation drew an angry response from on
Shaun Adams
Feb 92 min read


Legion Spring Regatta 2025 Photos
The team ready for action Spring weather in Rotorua Roll up, Roll up Cambridge RC novice four Cambridge RC novice four using their winners glasses Alice Beban, Hawkes Bay RC won 1x Alana Hawke, BOPC raced 1x Rose Lampen-Smith, Inge Morton, Claire Russell, Lorraine Anderson from St Georges RC North Shore masters RC winning 8 Jill Edwards and Alana Hawke, BOPC won new masters 2x
Shaun Adams
Dec 13, 20251 min read
Rowing Connect – user guide
Masters rowers, we are just over a month away from 2025 NZ Masters Rowing Champs in Twizel!! This year, your registration to enter is different. Rowing Connect is the new individual registration system for Rowing New Zealand. This means everyone participating in rowing this season will need to self-register. NZ Masters Champs entries open 11th September and […]
Shaun Adams
Aug 29, 20251 min read


May 2025 North Island Trophy winners
We have a giant list of trophies which were won (see document at the end of the article). And a correspondingly giant photo gallery of winners. Full 1k/500m regatta results list. Full Long distance 5k results list. Grateful thanks to Adie Pederson and Mike Harrison for taking the photos. Trophies Presented Singles 16 – Masters Para single […]
Shaun Adams
Jun 8, 20251 min read
2024 Masters champs survey results
A survey was circulated after the New Zealand Masters Championships Regatta in September 2024. The results are summarised below.
Shaun Adams
Oct 31, 20241 min read


2024 North Island Champs survey
Thanks to everyone who filled in the survey after the North Island Masters championships. High level findings
Shaun Adams
Jun 16, 20241 min read


Legion May 2024 Regatta Prizewinners
Mahe Drysdale recruited his children to assist with prizegiving.
Shaun Adams
Jun 6, 20241 min read
Legion Regatta Trophies
CAVE CUP (Memorial) Open Mixed Four DAVE BLACKIE HANDLES Oldest Winning Double (Men) DAVE BLACKIE HANDLES Oldest Winning Double (Women) CORPORATE TROPHY Men’s Coxed Four (Recreational / New Novices) CORPORATE TROPHY Women’s Coxed Four (Recreational / New Novices) SCHOOL PARENTS TROPHY Winning Eight or Coxed Four (depending on entries) CORPORATE TROPHY Mixed Eight (50% men, […]
Shaun Adams
Feb 22, 20241 min read


Legion of Southland 62nd Regatta
The 62nd Legion of Southland regatta was held in good conditions on the Oreti River – a light breeze came up late in the programme -not that that had any effect on the condition. It was only a small regatta 70 rowers competing. We do have some issues at low tide these days with a build up of Sand […]
Shaun Adams
Jan 18, 20242 min read


WRMR23 – Tshwane South Africa
Gathered under African Skies, Athletes, Officials, Volunteers, and Support Staff from around the world, joined with the Local Organizers and workers for what has been an amazing event on Roodeplaat Dam. The experience was almost lost when a freak wind and lighting storm hit the venue in the evening a day before the event. We […]
Shaun Adams
Oct 3, 20232 min read


Masters National Championships 2023 photos
Conrad Blind – Picture Show took these lovely images.
Shaun Adams
Sep 28, 20231 min read


Row Timer app
For years, rowing events have relied on the old fashioned way of timing races: by using stop-watches, doing “maths”, and then facing several hours of waiting while the results are finalised. This is immensely frustrating! Moreover, spectators are often heard asking “have they started yet?”, only seeing their crew for a few minutes on the […]
Shaun Adams
Aug 1, 20231 min read


Business House Rowing – Cognizant
Business House rowing has been reignited in Auckland with organisations being able to compete for the Thomson Memorial Cup. This Cup was competed for annually from 1938 through to 1996. The structure of the event has been adapted from Invercargill Rowing Club. The team will compete in an erg competition on Friday 31 March 2023 […]
Shaun Adams
Mar 1, 20232 min read
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