Big surge in numbers of Women Rowers at Blue Lakes

by Katie Farman, Rotorua Daily Post on 17 Jan 2007 Numbers of female rower have surged dramatically for this weekend's Blue Lakes Regatta, according to Katie Farman reporting for the Rotorua Daily Post:

A changing of the rowing guard appears imminent if entries for this weekend's Blue Lake Regatta are anything to go by.

Of the 1036 entries for the two day event beginning at Tikitapu on Saturday, 707 are in women's events compared with 257 male entries and 56 masters entries. Regatta spokesperson Wayne Mansell said the sheer number of women's entries was evidence of a growth in that area of the sport.

'Women's rowing is really taking off and in my opinion, it's the sport that young ladies want to do. These numbers clearly show that,' he said. 'I think we are also seeing some real strength coming through. When you look at the world championships, New Zealand had a women's eight entered for the first time.'

Mansell attributed this growth to several factors, including the positive image of the sport, World Cup success and the success of the Evers-Swindell twins. He also believed the high value placed on the Maadi Cup, to be held this year at Karapiro, and New Zealand's hosting of the 2010 World Rowing Championships had helped lift the sport's profile.

Mansell was confident the quality of women's crews would shine this weekend, especially in the under-17 doubles, with 68 entries.

Members of the New Zealand junior team that won silver at the World Rowing Championships in Amsterdam will also be competing, including Rotorua's Laura Fischer and Tauranga's Genevieve Armstrong. The Daily Post understands the duo may form a quad with fellow Bay and national representatives Trudy Stuart and Elizabeth Travis.

There are 1036 entries in the Regatta from clubs around the country, with over 1200 athletes taking part. The biggest club represented is the Hamilton Rowing Club, with 111 entries, and the competition includes entries from St Mary's College in Wellington and Wanganui Collegiate, who are making a welcome return to the Regatta after a 12-year absence. Tauranga, Whakatane and Rotorua clubs will also take to the water.

'It's going to be a huge weekend, weather permitting,' said Mansell.

The clubs are all racing for the Dewar Challenge Shield, which will be awarded to the club with the most points gained in the finals on Sunday. The Shield was won by Hawke's Bay last year with Rotorua finishing second.

* The competition runs at Tikitapu (Blue Lake) from 8am to 4pm both days this weekend. A total closure of Tikitapu will be in effect from 6pm on Friday night.

Source: www.dailypost.co.nz