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Jones Family Charitable Trust Legends Dinner

On Friday 17 November members of the rowing community gathered at the Sir Don Rowlands Centre at Lake Karapiro in Cambridge for the Jones Family Charitable Trust Legends Dinner. It was a special night to celebrate the unprecedented success of Rowing New Zealand over the past six Olympiads as well as inspiring the next generation. Around 290 guests enjoyed hearing from 30 of our Olympic medallists from 2000-2021. Included in the line-up were the Munich Men's gold medal winning eight from 197...

A proper sit-down for a stand-up set of rowers

Mahé and Juliette Drysdale have an incredible shared history in rowing.Who can forget that pivotal moment at the World Championships in 2005 when four New Zealand crews won gold in four successive finals in the space of 45 minutes.Mahé led the charge in the Men’s Single Sculls that day in Gifu, Japan, followed by Juliette and Nicky Coles in the Women’s Pair, George Bridgewater and Nathan Twaddle in the Men’s Pair and then the Evers-Swindell twins in the Women’s Double Sculls.But it was...

Sue Risi receives Legacy Medal

Sue Risi received her Legacy Medal at Lake Karapiro November 2022 in a surprise presentation organised by teammate Glenda Rodgers. Risi raced in the first New Zealand women's eight at the 1978 World Championships where they finished sixth. It was a proud day for Sue surrounded by her family at the Podium Cafe in Cambridge....

Under-23 athlete Jonte Wright - The ultimate reward

The New Zealand Rowing Foundation is proud to have supported many of our development athletes over the years at Junior and Under-23 level by awarding grants towards tour costs. A huge congratulations to all those New Zealand athletes that competed this year at the Under-23 and Under-19 World Rowing Championships. It is fantastic to see the New Zealand age group athletes back competing on the world stage after so many disruptions over the last two years due to covid. Jonte Wright, Under-23 Bronz...

Phil Wilson - My Olympic experience

The New Zealand Rowing Foundation is proud to have supported many of our development athletes over the years at Junior and Under 23 level by awarding grants towards tour costs. Olympic gold medallist Phil Wilson was one of those Under 23 athletes that received support from the foundation in 2017… 'Going into my first Olympics, I knew things were going to be very different to any other regatta I’d be to previously. I had heard stories that the pressure can really come on, but we had made...

Beth Ross - My Olympic experience

The New Zealand Rowing Foundation is proud to have supported many of our development athletes over the years at Junior and Under 23 level by awarding grants towards tour costs. Olympic silver medallist Beth Ross was one of those Under 23 athletes that received support from the foundation back in 2017… ‘For me there is no better feeling than wearing the silver fern and getting to race against the world’s best - and so having been able to do that so many times is incredible. In my 3 yea...

Olympic preview and coverage details

It is with great excitement we look towards the Tokyo Olympic Games. The New Zealand Rowing Foundation certainly watches on with great pride as so many of the current Olympic rowing team have benefited from NZRF grants as Under 23 athletes over the years. Many thanks to those of you that have made a donation to the NZRF in the past; you have also contributed to the journey of these NZ rowers to make the start line of the 2021 Tokyo Olympic Games. In addition to this, all of these New Zealand ath...

2021 AGM Legacy Medal Presentation

Among those honoured at the recent Legacy Medal Presentation were trailblazing rowers, Stephanie Foster and Robyn Clarke as well as Alan Grey, 1962 British Commonwealth Games silver medallist in the eight. Current Chairman of the NZRF and 1976 Olympic bronze medallist Ivan Sutherland was also surprised with his Legacy medal presentation on the night. ‘The Legacy Medal presentation was certainly a major surprise for me and I felt very humbled to be presented with it in front of many rowing frie...

Donation received in memory of Hugo Shaw

The New Zealand Rowing Foundation we were deeply saddened by the news of young rower, Hugo Shaw’s passing. We would like to thank the Ambler Family who have nominated the New Zealand Rowing Foundation to receive a $5,000 donation from the Hugo Charitable Trust.Hugo Shaw tragically passed away on 19 January 2021. He was only 14 years of age. Hugo was a talented, kind and caring child. He excelled academically and at sport. He played cricket, basketball and rugby for St Peter’s School, but Hug...

Legacy Medal Presentation in Tauranga

On a cool Saturday afternoon in April the opportunity was taken to present four legacy medals to our earlier representatives. This event coincided with the West End masters group training weekend on the Wairoa River, Bethlehem, near Tauranga, and the legacy medal presentation was timed for when the rowers came off the water. Hosting the occasion was actually one of the "to-be" recipients, Gary Reid, in his house which occupies a prime spot on the riverbank. President of Rowing NZ, Bill Falconer,...

Future Legacy Medal Presentations

Our next opportunities for Legacy Medal presentations will be at the National Championships at Ruataniwha, February 2021 and the RNZ AGM next May. The sub-committee is looking at possible recipients with location and associated ease of travel being always a consideration. The Foundation is very keen to work closely with Clubs and Associations who are planning a commemorative function or an annual prize giving and have RNZ Elite representatives within their membership. The presentation of a Legac...

RNZ Elite Athlete Update – Men’s Eight, Tom Mackintosh

Tom entered the Rowing NZ system in 2014 where he earned a bronze medal at the Junior World Rowing Championships. He later represented NZ at the Under 23 level to a bronze and silver medal in 2018 and 2019. Tom has been a recipient of the Foundation as an Under 23 athlete so we're grateful that he has given us an update on his year. Tom was recently named in the men’s elite eight who are looking to qualify for Tokyo. We wish Tom all the best for the future! Kia Ora, My name is Tom Ma...

Special occasion as Legacy Medal is presented to Jim Hill's Family

We were sorry to hear of the passing of Jim Hill earlier in the year however the Foundation was very pleased to be able to present the family of Jim Hill his Legacy Medal at a commemorative service at the Hamilton Rowing Club on the 25th of July. Jim had a lifetime involvement in rowing with the Hamilton Rowing Club, winning the national single sculls title successively from 1958 – 1963, and the double sculls title in 1958 and 1960.  He first represented New Zealand in the singl...

Verdonk and first women's four honoured

Legacy Medals were presented to nine New Zealand representative rowers in celebration of their contribution to the history of New Zealand rowing during a special presentation at the 2020 Rocket Food New Zealand Rowing Championships. The Legacy Programme was created to acknowledge and honour New Zealand’s elite rowers who have competed at major international regattas. Those that received Legacy medals at this event were: Eric Verdonk, Marion Horwell, Robyn Mathieson, Elizabeth Cato, Lesley Keys...

Our first New Zealand Rowing women's crew

In the winter of 1974 four women could be found slipping their oars into the foggy waters of Kerrs Reach each morning, steadily clocking up kilometers and constantly chasing the perfect stroke under the guidance of their keen young coxswain – determined to prove they were good enough for New Zealand selection. The 1974 crew of Marion Horwell, Robyn Matheson, Elizabeth Cato, Lesley Milne (nee Keys), along with coxswain Vicki Colville became the first New Zealand women’s crew to represent New ...

Auckland Rowing Club 150th Anniversary Legacy Presentation

The Auckland Rowing Club recently held it's 150th Anniversary Celebrations with two Legacy Presentations included in the two day event. The New Zealand Rowing Foundation were delighted to award Legacy Medals to the following recipients at the Cocktail Party: Ian Corbett, Peter Jansen, Graeme Ashby, Chris McAsey, Murdoch Dryden, Melanie Burke, Kayla Pratt. Legacy Medals were also awarded the following evening at the formal dinner at Fishermans Wharf. These recipients were:&nbs...

2019 Under 23 World Rowing Championships Success

The New Zealand Under 23 Rowing team won two silver medals at the World Rowing U23 Championships in Sarasota-Bradenton, United States. Six of New Zealand’s eight crews contested A Finals, with four crews contesting A and B Finals on the last day of the regatta, with the men’s double scull and men’s coxed four both taking silver.Silver medalists in the men’s double scull Jack Lopas and Ollie Maclean, both of whom are based in the USA, were joined by coach Logan Keys at Princeton Universit...

AGM: Legacy Medal Presentation

The New Zealand Rowing Foundation, along with Rowing New Zealand were delighted to present six more highly prestigious legacy medals, honouring our elite New Zealand representative rowers, at the Rowing New Zealand Annual General Meeting dinner in Wellington in May. Six recipients were awarded their Legacy medals by RNZ CEO Simon Peterson and NZRF Chairman Ivan Sutherland: Peter Aitchison (#62), Richard Tuffin (#63), Geoff Benge (#81), John Gibbons (#91), Graham Shaw (#96) and Thomas J...

NZRF grant recipient Samantha Voss crowned World Champion

The New Zealand Rowing Foundation were delighted to contribute $15 000 towards the New Zealand Under 23 Rowing team who competed at the 2018 World U23 Rowing World Championships in Poznan, Poland in July last year. One of the outstanding performers of the team was Samantha Voss who overcame a broken ankle to achieve U23 World Champion status in the womens single scull. ‘The 2018 World Rowing Under 23 Champs is certainly the highlight of my rowing career so far. Winning the single was an incred...

Prestigous Legacy Medals awarded at National Championships

The New Zealand Rowing Foundation recently held a prestigious Legacy Medal presentation at the 2019 Rocket Foods New Zealand Rowing Championships in Twizel. (Text to be added to here…)...