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Domestic Rowing Report
DOMESTIC ROWING REPORT 2020
Jock Mackintosh,
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Domestic Committee Chairperson
Bruce Tong,
Schools Committee Chairperson
Annabel Ritchie,
University Committee Chairperson 2020 was a unique year for rowing in many respects. For the first time ever, the Aon Maadi Cup was cancelled due to the onset of Covid-19 in New Zealand. This unprecedented cancellation did see a group of rowers miss out on the event that culminates their school rowing experience. This regatta became the first of many areas of life that faced disruption over the course of the year, but an ever-resilient group the school rowers overcame disappointment with much grace. Rowing NZ worked hard to provide clubs with guidance as the alert-level information was established and changed over the lockdown period. Getting club members back out on the water safely at a local level was the aim around the country.
As the world turned to virtual socialisation and connection, so too did the rowing world, and Rowing NZ held a series of online rowing events, including the Anzac Day Indoor Rowing Challenge, Row to the Moon and the One Minute Challenge, to ensure participation and connection within our sport was maintained.
Technology enabled these interactions and has been one of the major benefits we have garnered from the pandemic. Zoom has become second nature for many, and this has meant sharing, collaborating and consultation occurred more regularly and with a greater range of members. This engagement across our community was extremely beneficial for the sub-committee of the Domestic Rowing Committee, who developed the 2020 proposal for the Rocket Foods New Zealand Rowing Championships. The sub-committee consisted of Mat Jensen, Alex Meates and Natalie Matheson, along with board members Jock Macintosh and Gerry Dwyer, and staff members Annika Wing, Sonya Walker and Tim Wilson (before his departure in June 2020). The proposal was voted on unanimously by the associations for a first roll-out of the changes in 2021. The purpose of the changes was to excite those rowers already at the event but crucially to entice those who haven’t been attending (whether they are new or returning rowers). The changes provoke more connections through showcase racing (which also provides variety each year) and event-related social functions, and more
excitement through a new draft system for premier big boats and a refined programme in a block format where racing is faster paced down the course.
Rowing NZ would like to thank Mat, Natalie and Alex in particular for volunteering their time and for the hard work they undertook to establish a regatta that will excite and entice. Initial feedback from the 2021 event suggestions they achieved this goal.
Meanwhile 2020’s national championships event was the last of the old format. 825 rowers from 46 clubs attended the 2020 Rocket Foods New Zealand Rowing Championships. This was more rowers than the previous championship regatta hosted at Lake Karapiro, so it was great to see numbers return. With only some small disruptions due to fog, the racing was enjoyed by all throughout the week. This regatta would prove to be the final national event held for the year due to the onset of Covid-19.
The usual New Zealand Masters Championships was also unfortunately cancelled as a result of Covid-19. 2020 saw the introduction of Rowing NZ’s masters virtual seminars, with many members of New Zealand’s masters community joining subject matter experts such as former elite athletes Eric Murray and Sophie Mackenzie, and High Performance sport nutritionist Christel Dunshea-Mooij.
Rowing NZ was also pleased to enhance the connection with masters rowing in New Zealand through the appointment of a specific masters position on the domestic committee. For the 2020/21 season the master appointed is Rebecca Caroe. Rebecca will be seeking input from fellow masters to provide the connection to the committee and to provide advice on the direction of domestic rowing.
Rowing NZ also introduced a closed New Zealand Masters Facebook page, where masters are encouraged to share their thoughts and guidance, seek assistance, and further connect with the New Zealand masters community.
Unfortunately, University Rowing also had events cancelled due to Covid-19: the 2020 Aon University Rowing Championships at Lake Ruataniwha in April and the Battle of the Bombays on the Waikato River in August. The international opportunities for this group of athletes were also not possible in 2020. In December the University Rowing Council was able to gather for a strategy day. The nine university representatives discussed perceived strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats to university rowing. These points will now be used to create a strategy to guide university rowing over the next four years.
The Whole of Sport Forum was held in Hamilton during October, a later date than usual as a result of Covid-19, and was well supported by association representatives and, for the first time, also attended by members of New Zealand’s elite team. This event remains a great opportunity for Rowing NZ and the rowing community to engage with one another.
Race officials who were planning overseas placements – our Australian exchange, FISA jury members and the FISA exam candidates – were all impacted by Covid-19, and all of these areas were put on hold and subsequently cancelled. When travel restrictions are lifted we hope to resurrect all of these opportunities for our officials.
This year also saw Lesley Milne officially retire from the Race Official Coordinator’s
role she has so enthusiastically taken on for the last few years. Rowing NZ’s Race Official programme has truly benefited from her dedication to developing new officials so that our sport can continue to be run with professionalism. We thank Lesley for the time and energy she has given to this role and all the support she has provided our officials. She will be greatly missed.
COACH DEVELOPMENT
In early 2020 domestic coach development switched to online. Nearly 50% of the participants in 2020 used the online format. Attendance in total was up 30% on 2019, with 124 coaches attending courses. The online format allowed more people from the wider regions to attend, and meant modules were delivered over a series of evenings rather than in the weekend. Once gatherings could take place in person, modules were able to take place. These were delivered in Auckland, Waikato, Wellington, Marlborough, Canterbury and Otago. There was an increase in female coaches attending these courses – over 50% of total participants were women.
Every second year Rowing NZ funds the Coach Scholarship programme with coaches nominated from every region. This year with funding changes due to Covid-19, each region also contributed to their coaches attending. This was vital in allowing Rowing NZ to deliver this course, which is always well received. Overall, the 31 domestic scholarship places were eagerly filled by the associations.
The three scholarship weekends were held at Rowing NZ during October and November. The first of these workshops included extra coaches who had missed out on the Career Coach programme’s first intake in 2019 and were invited by Rowing NZ. Presentations were received from Rowing NZ and HPSNZ staff, and external lectures were given on nutrition, athlete life, S&C, skill acquisition, planning, safe sport, the new Nationals programme and the schools survey. This was alongside daily on-water sessions with the elite and age-group coaches.
Overall we had 14 female and 17 male coaches attend, 19 from the North Island and 12 from the South Island. Looking back at the previous coach scholarships in 2018 & 2016, several of our current pathway coaches have had their first experience at Rowing NZ through this programme.
Additional development opportunities in 2020 included an online erg seminar and a technique seminar. Eric Murray presented ‘Tips and Techniques on the Erg’ for which 40 people tuned in online from around the country. The technique seminars were held at both the Christmas regatta at Karapiro and the Otago Championships in Twizel. In the North Island approximately 60 people turned up to listen to presentations from Tony O’Connor (NZ M8+ coach), Martin Simoncelli (St Paul’s Collegiate and previous U23 coach) and Tina Manker (ex-German elite rower). In the South Island approximately 20 people turned up to hear presentations from Duncan Holland (ex-NZ coach and current Rowing NZ coach developer) and Kirsty Dunhill (Otago Boys’ High School coach).
