King’s Take to the World Stage for the Prestigious Henley Regatta

A schoolboy rowing crew does not wake up one morning and decide they want to compete in a world-class rowing event. Competing on the world stage takes years of physical training and mental preparation, and a desire to be the best that is not imposed on them by coaches and trainers, but is determined by the students themselves.

In 2018, The King’s School Rowing program underwent a transformation, driven by the boy’s attitudes. In the closed environment of the iconic King’s rowing shed, the boys and their mentors set a goal to compete in the best competition they could find and to test themselves. It was a culture shift.

According to Master in Charge (MIC) of Rowing Mr Robbie Williams, nothing compares to the Henley Regatta, and for a schoolboy, it is the ultimate experience. Robbie was part of the last King’s crew to compete at Henley in 2006. Now as an Old Boy and MIC of Rowing, he has shared his experiences and nurtured the program to allow the boys to find the right balance in both mindset and physical ability to achieve global recognition. “The biggest thing we give the boys is the notion that they control their destiny. No one tells them what they should do. Our job is to support them with goal setting and what is important to focus on,” says Robbie. From Year 8, training is focused on driving a passion for the sport and a desire to be active and challenged. From Year 10, a mature competitive mindset is cultivated. Rowers are encouraged not to focus on the outcome, but rather on the training and preparation necessary to be a competitive crew.

Director of Rowing and Head Coach Mr Julian Huxley is also a King’s Old Boy, having rowed for the School as well as making an impact on the rugby field. Julian graduated in 1997 and celebrated a successful rugby career playing for the Wallabies and in the Super Rugby Competition for ten years. With an immense knowledge of sport, both as a competitor and coach, Julian has developed a rigorous yet achievable training program that allows the boys to balance their commitment to rowing with academic and other co-curricular responsibilities. “The boys have five training sessions a week, three during the week and two on Saturday, with gym sessions incorporated in addition to that. We have organised our sessions so the boys can stay at the boatshed and do an afternoon session followed by a morning session, which helps them to juggle their academic commitments,” says Julian.

With a solid training schedule and positive mentorship embedded in the rowing program, King’s rowing crews began to make an impact at GPS competitions, taking gold at Head of the River in 2021 and 2022. Then the announcement followed in early 2022 that the 1st VIII and a supplementary crew of four additional rowers who competed as a quad were off to the Henley Regatta.

“King’s has an incredible community and this motivates our boys in so many ways. The 1sts have been a crew since 2019, so mateship is well established both within the

crew itself and in the family and friends that surround them,” says Robbie.

While the boys’ hard work had earned them a spot in the globally elite competition, they would not have been able to travel to London without the dedication and support of their families and loved ones. In five weeks, parents raised $67, 500 through BBQs on the JS White Oval every Saturday, auctions at various sporting events at the School, raffles and more.

“At Henley 45 family members including parents, sisters, brothers and grandparents joined the Headmaster and Reverend Stephen Edwards to cheer on our boys, showing the world how passionate and proud the King’s community is. Many of the English crews had big crowds, but because of our support network we didn’t feel out of place,” says Robbie. With many King’s students setting their sights on top International Universities, Henley provided the opportunity for The King’s School to be recognised on a global scale. Alongside the privilege of competing at Henley, the boys had the opportunity to engage in discussions with Head Rowing Coaches from world-class institutions including Harvard, Brown and Yale.

The co-curricular programs at the School are designed to develop a boy’s character, challenge him, teach goal setting and perseverance, and ultimately develop well-rounded people who will make positive contributions to the world.

Julian says, “it is a challenge to fit rowing commitments into school life, but life is about learning to juggle. When you graduate from school, you need to have the skills and experience to balance several responsibilities at the one time.”

The delicate balancing act entrenched in the life of a King’s boy, is how they are shaped to become men who are ready to take on life’s challenges beyond the school gates, beyond their homes and even beyond the national borders. It is not just about success in the boat, on the field or in the classroom; learning to multi-task and juggle commitments is what shapes students’ success in the future.