With clubs around the North Island looking to finish up their training camps, much excitement will be building towards this week’s North Island Club Championships. In this article, we’ll focus on the Men’s Senior Quad and any potential entries that may come in the Men’s Premier Quad.
At Christmas Regatta in December, a tight battle for first place saw Aramoho Whanganui take out the title for the men’s senior quad, with Waikato just half a second behind. With deep-lying talent in their squad, Waikato will no doubt have looked to build on speed on the Waikato River. We can expect that any seat trials for the senior quads will likely be complete as crews become more set in stone as we approach the final furlong of the season – the New Zealand National Championships.
Aramoho Whanganui
A relatively young crew compared with the rest of the field, this quad is no doubt impressive, with the ability to compete at a very high level against rowers considerably more experienced. Strengthened by the experience of Jake Newton, who took silver in the U17 Single at the Maadi Cup, as well as the U20 rower Herbie Austin-Baker from the UK, this quad will continue to impress. Austin-Baker finished second in the men’s senior single at the Christmas Regatta amidst a very strong field, and has previously found considerable success, including at Henley Royal Regatta, where he made the final in the Fawley Challenge Cup. Coached by Axel Dickinson, a coach renowned for breeding success from the smallest of opportunities, this crew is in good hands. Not only that, but over the Christmas break, they have been supplementing their training by joining some camp sessions run by the legendary Richard Tonks, a famous figure in New Zealand rowing, who took guidance over some of the sport’s greatest, such as the pairing of Bond and Murray, as well as Mahe Drysdale. So far nobody this season has been able to touch this quad, as they have placed first in every regatta with this combination. No doubt this hugely impressive young crew will look to lengthen the gap they took on Waikato at the last regatta.
Waikato Rowing Club
With two rowers from the bronze medal-winning crew from last year’s National Championships, Waikato looks a strong contender to finally win the coveted title. A mere half-second off Aramoho Whanganui, it will have been the small things that this quad will have looked to perfect over this summer break. Strengthened in the middle pair with two pathway members selected for the Waikato team in the Provincial regattas, there is undoubtedly more speed to be gained for this quad. Waikato’s Jack Clark is one to watch in this quad; his fifth-place finish in the B-Final at the U19 World Rowing Championships makes him already an established name in the junior racing world at club level. Additionally, stroked by strong regular to the NZ rowing circuit, Riley Wills, who finished second in the premier double sculls at Christmas Regatta, this whole line-up makes for fierce opposition. With a faster 2k ergo average, on paper, this crew may look to be the top contenders, but it will still take a mammoth effort to overturn Aramoho.
Men’s Premier Quad
With no entries in the previous Christmas Regatta in this event, it is very difficult to predict entrants. Last year’s North Island Club Championships saw Waikato enter a quad with Oscar Ruston and Josh Vodanovich, the latter of whom stroked the New Zealand pair to a world-best time in the men’s U23 pair at the Junior World Rowing Championships. It is likely Waikato will enter a quad again, as they have done in previous years. Furthermore, Rowing New Zealand may likely consider race combinations here as an early speed indicator. Unfortunately, there is little more to go on, but there is an opportunity for a good battle in this event, too.
Predictions
At this point, it is extremely difficult to tell for the men’s senior coxless quad. I would predict Waikato to take out the race due to the pedigree of their boat, but it’s very hard to discount Aramoho Whanganui. Ultimately, I feel it is more likely that the more experienced Waikato crew will have the edge, as well as their typical second half of the season push. Nonetheless, when it comes to finals day, it may just be down to who wants it more.
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