History - legacy

History of Rowing at Tauranga Boys' College

Neil Howard 

Rowing established itself as a sport in Tauranga in 1937. Due to the estuarine nature of the southern reaches of the harbour, an ideal training ground has long been on the doorstep of the College. The Maadi Cup is the largest secondary school event in the Southern Hemisphere in any sport, bringing together over 2000 athletes from over 125 schools. The Cup itself is presented to the boys school winner of the eights and originates from contests between NZEF soldiers on the River Nile during World War II.

For 25 years Rowing was a minor sport until the appointment to the science department of Mr R.G. Stuckey, who had rowed for Mount Albert Grammar School and Victoria University. He was keen to lift the profile of the sport and was enthusiastic in his approach to increase student numbers. Many fundraising strategies were employed and were to remain a part of rowing at the college into the future as the only way of providing the equipment needed. 

With this new enthusiasm the results on the water improved markedly. From 1963 school crews travelled to a number of regattas including the prestigious Head of the Harbour in Auckland. Wins soon followed, the most notable being a win in the eights at the 1964 Auckland Championships and a second to Wanganui Collegiate in the 1964 Maadi Cup. The eight was second again at the Maadi in 1965 and was also second in the New Zealand Youth Eights, while it registered another win at the Auckland Championships. After this period of success, rowing went into decline.

In 1975 two new staff members, Ron Buller and Pat Keenan, took up the challenge of reviving rowing. After a season of developing enthusiasm among the boys and getting crews to more regattas, the balance began to tilt, especially in 1977 when the President of the Tauranga Rowing Club, Bill Eaddy, offered his services as a coach. By the end of that year rowing had again gained momentum as the crews won the Derbyshire Shield for the first time, a trophy that recognized the national champion rowing school across all events. Better was to follow as the promise shown by the junior crews was translated into outstanding success in 1978. For the first time in its history, Tauranga Boys’ College rowers won the Maadi Cup and other crews won gold in the New Zealand U17 fours, U16 eights, and U16 novice eights as well as the Derbyshire Shield. The Maadi crew went on to win the New South Wales Secondary Schools’ Eights and the Queensland Youth Eights, thanks to the generosity of the Tauranga community, Sir Robert Owens in particular. Owens’ grandson, Mahe Drysdale, would go on to become Olympic champion many years later.

By now rowing was on a roll. In 1979, not only was the Maadi Cup retained but also the Springbok Shield for fours was added, making Tauranga only the second school in history to win the double. The total of 7 New Zealand titles also included the Junior fours and eights, the Intermediate fours, the U17 fours and the U15 fours. 

The first years of the new decade continued the amazing record of the school rowers which had begun in 1977. The 1980 crews repeated their double wins in the Maadi and Springbok Shield, making Tauranga the first school to achieve it. In 1981, despite chasing Hamilton Boys’ High School for most of the season, the Maadi and Springbok crews lifted for the most important regatta of their season and won both of the trophies again. 

By 1982 the golden run seemed to be coming to an end. Both the senior crews were very young and the early races had many supporters fearing the worst. At the Maadi regatta a tactical decision was made to scratch the Springbok crew, a decision that paid off as the boys came through to record yet another Maadi victory. 

The golden period of five consecutive Maadi wins was always going to be hard to sustain. From 1983 onwards however, major rowing victories were still regular occurences. The Springbok Shield was lifted in 1984, 1986 and 1987. The Maadi eight was solid rather than spectacular, but in 1986 it was on course for a win only to have a rower black out 50 metres from the line. In the 1990s two more Maadi Cup - Springbok Shield double successes were recorded. In 1994 victories were achieved on the back of the herculean efforts of future All Black Royce Willis and in 1997 current staff member Steve Kelly was an integral part of the success.

Since 1997 staff have worked hard to recruit boys, update equipment and engage knowledgeable coaches and have been rewarded with some good performances that have seen victories achieved at the Maadi regatta and seen a number of boys represent New Zealand. In the early part of this century lightweight and under 16 and 18 crews picked up gold medals. In 2009 the gold medal winning crew contained Adam Ling and Toby Cunliffe-Steel, who have since both represented New Zealand at elite level in the lightweight category.

In 2013 the under 18 coxed quad crew of Daniel Bridgwater, Jordan Parry, Sheldon Noyce and Charlie Rogerson picked up gold. All four members of this crew went on to bigger and better things with Parry representing New Zealand at the highest level, Rogerson at Under 23s and Noyce and Bridgwater attending the Australian Youth Olympic Festival. Bridgwater eventually took his talents to Harvard University where he made the varsity crew. Our last appearance in the Maadi Cup final was in 2018.

Rowing is a very demanding sport physically which has flourished in the college but it is also a sport which requires a huge effort from parents as well. Plant is expensive, while training hours are both lengthy and at times which disrupt daily routines. It has taken major efforts from dedicated staff and extensive support from local businesses in the provision of top-quality skiffs, to maintain the tradition of rowing the school has established. 

Of note has been the outstanding performance of three-time Olympic single sculler Mahe Drysdale. Having achieved bronze in Beijing in 2008, he claimed gold at both London 2012 and Rio 2016. Along with his five world championships, Drysdale has also been New Zealand Sportsman of the Year on five occasions. 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maadi_Cup

Maadi Cup Wins (7) 1978, 1979, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1994, 1997 (5th most wins overall))

Springbok Shield (8) 1979, 1980, 1981, 1984, 1986, 1987, 1994, 1997 (2nd most)

TBC Olympic Rowers

John Clarke - Four 1972 

Roger White-Parsons - Eight 1984

Geoff Cotter - Four 1988

Mahe Drysdale - Four 2004, Single Sculls 2008 (Bronze), 2012 (Gold), 2016 (Gold)

Jordan Parry - Single Sculls 2020