Kicking off the new year – and the sharp end of regatta season – the Rowing New South Wales Small Boats Regatta will showcase the progress made by these young athletes at their respective January camps.
The Under 21 men’s pairs have yet to battle over the two-kilometre SIRC course this season. Many pairs are returning from the NSW High-Performance Time Trial series at the end of last year, whilst other new combinations emerge from Christmas formation efforts.
As a selection requirement for the NSW youth eight that will contest the Interstate Regatta at the conclusion of the Australian National Championships in March, this weekend promises fast times and tight margins. With eight local crews lining up, these are the combinations to watch out for.
Sydney Rowing Club – Matias Moloney and Tomas Moloney.
This talented pair, comprising twin brothers Matias and Tomas Moloney, will be amongst the youngest in this field of eight – but also the most experienced. The two were crowned U19 World Champions in the men’s coxed four at last August’s Championships. The stroke seat of that same gold medal-winning crew, Ambrose Hennessy, will also race the pairs at this regatta, teaming up with fellow Sydney Rowing Club athlete Finn Woodward.
The Moloney combination, coached by Shane Mulvaney and Brook Robertson, is one of four Sydney Rowing Club crews entered in this field, highlighting the depth of talent in this squad and the potential for a competitive U21 men’s eight come the NSW State Championships later this season. Still eligible to compete as U19 athletes, the boys who began rowing at St Joseph’s School have already accomplished impressive feats in their young rowing careers. They will be eager to impress selectors with a fast time and prove that age is merely a number in this competitive field.
Sydney Rowing Club – Henry Pursehouse and Jerry Anderson.
Another Sydney Rowing Club combination, this time of Great Britain junior Jerry Anderson and recent Scots College graduate Henry Pursehouse. Anderson, who is on a gap year from Marlow Rowing Club in Great Britain, had an impressive domestic season in 2024 as a finalist in The Fawley Challenge Cup at Henley Royal Regatta and medallist at the National Schools’ Regatta. He was selected as a member of the Great Britain Men’s U19 quad which finished second in the B-final at the U19 World Rowing Championships in Canada last August. Pursehouse meanwhile is no stranger to the SIRC course, having been an integral member of the Scots College first eight over the last two seasons. Seeing this pair leading the pack at this regatta would be no surprise.
Sydney University Boat Club – Campbell Wickham and Angus Ciesiolka
The sole Sydney University Boat Club entry in this event comprises the strength and talent of Campbell Wickham and Angus Ciesiolka, who have the potential to be a dark horse in this field. This will be an interesting crew to watch come Saturday as the two boys transition from schoolboy eights last season to a smaller and more technical boat class. The combination boasts plenty of experience, with Wickham securing a National Championship title in the schoolboy eights last season with the King’s School and Ciesiolka a member of the 2024 St Joseph’s College crew that was crowned AAGPS Champions. This is a newly formed combination, but one that should definitely remain on the radar of their competitors.
St Augustine’s – William Pender and Jason Cao
It would be naïve to count out the well-established schoolboy crew of Cao and Pender despite being the only school crew entered in this event. The two aren’t new to racing together, having contested the U19 men’s pair at multiple regattas last season, including the NSW State Championships, where they secured a silver medal before narrowly missing out on the podium in the same event at the National Championships.
The two are reigning National Champions in the U19 men’s coxed four and will look to continue that dominance into the new year. Like the Moloney brothers, Pender and Cao are still U19 eligible, and under the guidance and expertise of Judith Ungemach, we can expect a solid performance from the boys from the Northern Beaches.
UTS Rowing Club– Edward Kelly and Lawson Banks
Another notable mention is the combination of Kelly and Banks from UTS Rowing Club, who are one of two UTS entrants in this event. Kelly and Banks were both members of the men’s U21 eight, which pulled off an impressive win over their Sydney Rowing Club counterparts at Reindeer Regatta last year. This duo is well established, having raced together at the NSW November Time Trial, and should be right in the mix at this regatta.
Predictions:
For me, it’s an all-Sydney podium here. It’s tough to look past the weight of experience and talent in the two Sydney Rowing Club crews: I expect Pursehouse and Anderson to lead the Moloney brothers across the line, followed by Wickham and Ciesiolka of SUBC for the bronze medal.
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