Canterbury Crews should feature on first Final Day

by SI Rowing on 30 Mar 2006 Canterbury crews are well represented in today’s racing in the first day of finals in the AON Maadi Cup, being held on Lake Ruataniwha. Already four days of elimination have cut the original entry of 1264 crews to 216 in “A” finals.

In under 18 competition the most keenly contested race will be the women’s coxed four. St Margaret’s 1 and 2 bracket race favourite Wanganui Collegiate with a strong challenge for medals likely to come from a consistent Timaru Girls High school. St. Bedes College are the sole Canterbury crew in the men’s coxed four where titleholder Hamilton Boys High are also challenged by Auckland’s St Kentigerns and an in form Wanganui Collegiate.

Christ’s College should be up with the medals in the under 18 lightweight four with Bethlehem College showing best form in the heats while the women’s light four has St Margaret’s, Christchurch Girls High, Timaru Girls and Craighead all challenging Sacred Heart of Rotorua for the title. The men’s under 18 coxed quad should see Christ’s College and St Andrews sharing the medals with Wanganui High School.

The womens under 18 coxless pair will see Rangi Ruru’s Anna Dawson and Sophie Spiers go head to head with top North Island pair , Gisborne Girls High’s Anna Revington and Matilda Halley. A second Rangi Ruru combination of Alex Burnside and Lucinda Paterson as well as St Margaret’s Dayna Aubrey and Josie Springford will make this race a must watch.

Under 17 competition sees Rangiora High and Roncalli of Timaru in the girls single scull, Christchurch Girls, Rangi Ruru and St Margarets are top qualifiers in the eights, and in boys races St Bedes and Christs contest the coxed four with Roncalli and St Andrews in the quad.

The under 16 girls four will see Rangi Ruru and Timaru Girls fighting for the top medal with Twizel area School the undisputed favourite in the under 16 double scull.

Under 15 competition is strong with four Christchurch schools racing the eight oar final. Rangi Ruru, St Margarets, Villa Maria and CGHS demonstrate the depth of entry –level rowing in Christchurch. In the under 15 double scull no less than five A finalists are Canterbury crews with Villa, both Rangi Ruru crews, St Andrews and Timaru Girls High all winning through from the nearly seventy crews contesting the event- surely an endorsement of the standard of school competition in Canterbury