St Bede duo miss out on nationals

TWO high school rowers whose parents sought an injunction against their school to allow them to compete in the Maadi Cup regatta have missed out on national trials.

St Bede’s College boys Jordan Kennedy, 17, and Jack Bell, 16, were controversially reinstated into their school’s rowing team after their principal, Justin Boyle, axed them for breaching Auckland Airport security on March 20.

Boyle ruled the boys breached the school’s code of conduct after they were given formal warnings by police and the Aviation Security Service for jumping on a baggage conveyor and entering a restricted area.

The boys’ fathers, Shane Kennedy and Antony Bell, sought and won a High Court interim injunction allowing their sons to compete in the Maadi Cup.

Rowing New Zealand listed nearly 100 high school pupils named as New Zealand junior and under 18 South Island team trialists on its website yesterday, but Jordan and Jack’s names were not listed for either.

The national trial is at Lake Karapiro near Cambridge from April 12 to 18, while the South Island trial is at Lake Ruataniwha near Twizel from April 10 to 12.

Shane Kennedy and Rowing New Zealand declined to comment on the team selection. Kennedy refused an interview, saying he would not speak to media again if a story was published about the boys not being listed as trialists.

A spokeswoman for Rowing New Zealand said senior staff would not be commenting.

The original High Court decision sparked furious debate on social media, with many criticising the parents for challenging the college’s authority.

Principals’ Federation president Denise Torrey said: ‘‘It just shows that if you have the resources that you can use those resources and your children don’t have to suffer the consequences that normal Joe Bloggs might have to suffer.’’

A judgment by Justice Rachel Dunningham said the boys feared being banned from the regatta would jeopardise their chance of inclusion in representative teams.