New South Wales Rowing Championships 2025 – Men’s Elite Single Scull Preview

Photo Credit: Rowing NSW

The NSW State Championships present a unique and exciting opportunity for high-calibre open and elite scullers to compete for the prestigious NSW State Title and the Mervyn T Wood Trophy in the single scull – the pinnacle sculling event on the program. Traditionally dominated by the fast-paced sculling contingent from the Men’s National Training Centre in Canberra, this year’s race presents a different dynamic, with Marcus Della Marta being the sole NTC athlete entered in this field of twenty-three. While all athletes bring significant experience, this will be their first chance this season to test themselves against one another and, for many, their first opportunity to race on the Sydney International Rowing Centre course this season. This will be a compelling and intriguing event to watch this regatta, with the State title within reach for numerous contenders in this field.

Adelaide Rowing Club: Oscar McGuinness and Mitch Reinhard

The former lightweight duo from Adelaide Rowing Club of McGuinness and Reinhard are notable names in this year’s event and are likely to emerge as key challengers for the title. The two train together out of the South Australian Sports Institute and will be two of the most experienced and established in this field, having both spent time at the Men’s National Training Centre.

Both contested this event last year, with McGuiness finishing fifth and Reinhard securing seventh. With just one NTC entrant in the mix, the path is wide open for either of the two to make a significant impact.

McGuinness made his international debut in 2022 as Australia’s Lightweight Men’s Sculler before transitioning to race as a heavyweight. Last season, he competed at World Cup I in the men’s double scull, alongside Reinhard, where the two finished sixth overall. He then contested the World Rowing Final Olympic Qualification Regatta – infamously dubbed the ‘Regatta of Death’ thanks to its infamous brutality and high-stakes racing. McGuiness placed fourth in the C-final, missing out on qualifying for the single scull for the Paris Olympic Games. Having endured both the triumph and setbacks of elite-level competition, he will now hopefully have gained invaluable experience on one of the sport’s most gruelling stages. We can look forward to seeing how he channels last year’s challenges into growth, and I predict he will emerge as a stronger and more well-rounded athlete. His return to SIRC is a welcome sight, and as usual, he will be one to watch.

Reinhard has also had his share of valuable international racing experience, competing at both the U23 level, where he finished seventh in the men’s lightweight double at the 2019 U23 World Championships, and more recently alongside McGuiness at World Cup I last year.

Given their pedigree and experience, it would be surprising to see either of them anywhere but the front of the pack in this highly anticipated A-final.

Adelaide University Boat Club: Nick Blackman

Also from South Australia, Nick Blackman, who trains alongside Reinhard and McGuiness at the South Australian Sports Institute, will look to make his mark in his NSW race as an open athlete. A two-time U23 World Rowing Medallist, Blackman claimed bronze in the men’s quad in 2023 and, more recently, an impressive silver in the men’s double in 2024 alongside Mercantile’s Dom Frederico, who is also entered in this event.

At his most recent hit out, the 2025 January West Lakes Regatta, Blackman finished third, just 0.54 seconds behind Reinhard, and 2.29 off race winner McGuiness. With his strong credentials and proven speed, he could easily emerge as the dark horse in this field.  

Sydney University Boat Club: Marcus Della Marta

The sole NTC entry in this field, Marcus Della Marta, will enter this event as the one to beat. He will look to go two places better than he did in this event last year, finishing behind his doubles partner from last season, Bartholot, and Antill, both of whom are absent from this year’s championships.

Della Marta was the stroke seat of last year’s priority sculling boat, combining with fellow SUBC athlete, Bartholot in the men’s double scull. The two came agonizingly close to Olympic qualification last year, finishing a narrow third at the World Rowing Final Olympic Qualification Regatta. They went on to contest World Rowing Cup III, where they won the B-final. Beyond the traditional racing format, Della Marta has also represented Australia at the World Rowing Beach Sprints in both 2023 and 2024, as well as the U23 World Rowing Championships in 2022 as a member of the Australian men’s quad.

Della Marta’s strength and power should serve him well on Saturday, with the title his to lose.

Sydney Rowing Club: Cormac Kennedy-Leverett

In his debut wearing the Sydney blue, Kennedy-Leverett could prove to be a significant threat to Della Marta in contention for the State title. The former Junior World Champion was a regular name in Australian U19 and U23 teams up until 2022, before representing Australia in the men’s quad at the 2023 World Rowing Cups II and III, as well as at the 2023 World Rowing Championships in the men’s double.

Kennedy-Leverett, who trains out of the ACT Academy of Sport, had a quieter 2024, scratching from this event last year and not competing at Nationals. However, he has shown promising form so far this season, recording the highest prognostic in the most recent ACT Time Trial in December. Although he has yet to race at SIRC this season, the new ACTAS Head Coach, Tom Westgarth, will provide fresh guidance as he seeks to assess his position within this field.

Kennedy-Leverett will be excited for the opportunity to gauge his performance against the other athletes and will see this race as a key opportunity to gain an indication of where he sits going into Nationals and trials.

Australian National University Boat Club: Hamish Harding

Former lightweight Hamish Harding returns to contest the sculling event this year, though in a slightly different format. Having secured the NSW State title in the Championship men’s elite lightweight single last year, Harding will aim to replicate that success in the heavyweight division this year. Like Kennedy-Leverett, Harding has shown potential already this season over the five-kilometre distance, finishing second at the ACT Time Trial in December, and it will be great to see if his speed can be translated over the two-kilometre course.

Griffith University Surfers Paradise: Jackson Free

From Griffith Uni Surfers Paradise, Jackson Free will be looking to continue his momentum in this event in a second state, having taken out the championship men’s single scull for the fifth year in a row at the Queensland State Championships two weeks ago. Free, coached by his father Marcus, looks to be in fine form, taking out the men’s double and quad over the same weekend.

Free, who placed ninth overall in this event last year, has since embraced many opportunities, and we can expect his performance this weekend to reflect more racing experience. He competed at Henley Royal Regatta last year, reaching the second round in the The Diamond Challenge Sculls, and also competed in The Double Challenge Cup alongside Cam Buchan.

Mercantile Rowing Club: Dom Frederico

Mercantile’s Dom Frederico will return to Penrith after a stellar last season of U23s. Frederico, alongside Blackman, produced a stunning silver medal at the U23 World Rowing Championships in August last year in one of the most brutal events of the regatta. Frederico relocated to South Australia for the duration of the U23 campaign, and after such promising results, has chosen to stay, training alongside Blackman, as well as McGuiness and Reinhard under the leadership of SASI Head Coach, Nick Mitchell.

Frederico had mixed results in the U23 single last season, finishing seventh in this event last year, before improving on that result with a bronze at the National Championships. Notably, at Nationals, he moved from seventh at the first five hundred metre mark to surge through four crews and secure the bronze, showcasing immense physical strength, mental toughness, and endurance in the latter stages of the race. His performance at trials last year cemented his spot in the Australian men’s U23 double, as well as his selection as the Victorian Interstate men’s single sculler, where he contested the Presidents Cup.

Prediction

This event promises to be one of the closest and most exciting to watch of the weekend, with heats starting on Friday and finals on Saturday. With 23 entries and only nine lanes in the final, the heats will be no walk in the park for anyone, reflecting the depth of talent outside the National Training Centre – an exciting indicator for selectors. While I believe Marcus Della Marta will take the title, the race for the minor placings is harder to predict. McGuiness and Kennedy-Leverett won’t put Della Marta at ease at any stage of this race and are the two I believe are most capable of pulling off an upset. It would be naive to overlook the potential of the rest of the SASI sculling group and the benefits of their side-by-side training and racing, with Blackman and Reinhard sure to be in the mix, and Frederico a serious challenger in the second half of the race.

About The Author