Dominant Otago wins ‘Ashes’ for 22nd time in 23 years
OTAGO University rules the water again.
A dominant performance at the New Zealand universities regatta in Whanganui at the weekend ensured the coveted ‘‘Ashes’’ would return to Dunedin for a 22nd time in 23 years.
Otago also won the UTSNZ Rowing Shield for the second year in a row.
The team of 60 rowers claimed 14 gold medals, 12 silver and five bronze at the twoday regatta.
Otago University Rowing Club manager Glen Sinclair said it was a ‘‘fantastic’’ regatta.
Winning back the Tamaki Cup for the women’s championship eight was a highlight.
‘‘It was a fantastic race with Canterbury, Waikato and Otago all locked together with 600m left in the 3219m race,’’ Sinclair said.
‘‘Otago managed to break away and win by threequarters of a length.’’
The Otago eight trained in the boat that was used by the New Zealand crew when it prepared to win silver at the Tokyo Olympics.
The Otago University club bought the boat from Rowing New Zealand in March and, per tradition, it has been named after the university’s new vicechancellor, David Murdoch.
Otago’s senior men had a bad start in their eights final when they had Auckland veering towards them, Sinclair said.
‘‘They had to work really hard to get back in the race, being last 500m into the race.
‘‘They climbed over Victoria, and then Auckland at the 2km mark, but just couldn’t catch Canterbury, the defending champions.’’
Otago’s novice rowers, especially the women, had a wonderful regatta, winning all but one of their events.
Novice races were especially important to the competition for the overall points trophy as they were worth double points, Sinclair said.
‘‘It shows the importance of offering rowing to beginner athletes at university who didn’t have access to the sport at school as it wasn’t offered or because of the huge cost.’’
Two of Otago’s novice female athletes were identified by Rowing New Zealand pathway coaches Mark Stallard and Fiona Bourke at the regatta.
Hannah Matehaere and Manaia Butler each won four gold medals.
They have a chance to follow in the footsteps of Bourke, who was also a novice at the Otago University club before going on to row for New Zealand and winning gold at the 2014 world championships.