And thats a wrap for 2025/26!
- hamish8572
- Apr 4
- 5 min read
Well, that's a wrap for our 2025/26 season, unless of course you're a masters rower, your season is just beginning. Massive thanks has to go out to our dedicated coaches for another big season of rowing. Hats off team!
Read on to check out the run down of Maadi results, and find out what some of our other rowers are up to….
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Maadi cup regatta review
2026 NZ Secondary Schools (Maadi Cup) - Lake Ruataniwha (23 - 28 March 2026)
FDMC (9), NPBHS (2), NPGHS (5) and SHGC (7)
Well done to all our rowers who attended Maadi recently. Our rowers were treated to a week of flat water to lay it down against New Zealand Secondary Schools best talent.
G U16 1x (SHGC: Elisa Strohmeier) 8th in A-Final
B U17 1x (NPBHS: Jack Hurley) 2nd in B-Final
B U17 1x (FDMC: Oli Kohlhase) 3rd & BRONZE medal in A-Final
B U17 1x (FDMC: Noah Prendergast) 7th in C Final
B U17 2x (FDMC: Noah Prendergast & Oli Kohlhase) 3rd and BRONZE in A-Final
B U18 1x (NPBHS: Brody Leicester): 7th in A Final
B U18 1x (NPBHS: Hamish Perry): 3rd in C Final
G U18 1x (SHGC: Alara Thomson): 3rd in D Final
G U18 2x (SHGC: Cassie Colbourne & Francie O'Sullivan) 4th in B-Final
G N18 2x (NPGHS: Gabbie Robinson & Kate Muller)A-Final
B N18 2x (FDMC: Grady O'Sullivan & Oscar Keller) 4th in B-Final
B U18 2x (FDMC: Jack Fuller, Hamish Perry): 8th in B Final
B U18 2x (NPBHS: Jack Hurley, Brody Leicester): 4th in A Final
B N18 4+ (FDMC: Tom Crowley, Grady O’Sullivan, Edward Stoddard, Oscar Keller + Mason Seator): 4th in B Final
B N18 4x+ (FDMC: Tom Crowley, Grady O’Sullivan, Edward Stoddard, Oscar Keller + Mason Seator): 5th in A Final
G N18 4x+ (NPGHS: Ruby Muller, Kate Murdoch, Gabbie Robinson, Lydia Helms + Trixie Walker): 6th in A Final
G U18 4x+ (SHGC: Cassie Colbourne, Francie O’Sullivan, Alara Thomson, Lucy Cameron + Ruby Fuller): 5th in B Final
Congratulations to Jack Hurley and Oli Kohlhase for securing nominations to trial for the North Island U19’s.
Good luck guys for your upcoming trials
NZ University Rowing Champs - Lake Karapiro (3-4 April 2026)
It’s awesome to see a number of former (and current) Clifton rowers continuing their journey with their respective universities this season.
These athletes are proof that rowing isn’t just a phase – it’s a sport you can carry with you, whether that’s at university, in club crews, or beyond.
Once a Clifton rower, always a Clifton rower 💙
Absent from the image was Patrick Hearn-Powers competing for Victoria University
Our Clifton SMU rowers (Jessie Pulford, Isla Robinson & Jill Zwart)
We caught up with our Clifton crew in Dallas, Texas to see how they're going in the US of A
Explain your season for us
In the fall semester (August-December) we are mainly doing a lot of steady volume, with a little bit of head racing. This is also when we do our 5kms. In the spring semester (January-May) we get into real 2km racing which is super fun! We have a two week training camp before school starts back up in January and then go to Florida for another training camp before our first race in March. We get to travel quite a bit around the country racing in eights and fours.
The competition is done by invitation in the build up to your School’s conference championships in May. SMU is in the ACC conference with Boston College, California, Clemson, Duke, Louisville, Miami, North Carolina, Notre Dame, SMU, Stanford, Syracuse, and Virginia. From this comp, we qualify for the NCAA National Championships in June.
Q: What are you studying?
A: Jessie - Sports Performance Leadership
A: Isla - Applied physiology and Health Management with a minor in psychology
A: Jill - BBA in accounting
Q: What’s your pre-race/erg song?
A: Jessie - Victory lap by Fred again
A: Isla - Love generation by Bob Sinclair
A: Jill - Can’t Hold Us by Macklemore
Q: What do you like about being in the States?
A: Jessie - I get the opportunity to get a degree and do my sport at the same time with my best friends
A: Isla - The States is an amazing place, so big and so full of opportunities. It is definitely a culture shock, which makes the world seem so big and you so small. But since it is so big, it means there are so many resources at your disposal to help you reach your full potential.
A: Jill - I love that I’ve been able to meet some of my best friends who come from all corners of the world with such different experiences. I also really appreciate how well supported we are as athletes with all the resources we might need on hand.
Q: What don’t you like about the States?
A: Jessie - Most days I wish we were on the coast and having more places to walk around and having a beach to swim at. Also I don't like how you have to take so many broad subjects. It's different to NZ Uni in this way because I still have to do English, stats, history, anthropology and stuff like that.
A: Isla - One thing I don’t like is the lack of nature. Everything in Dallas is very concrete and pruned with no hills or natural landmarks in sight. AND the beach! No beach kills me.
A: Jill - Being so far away from home and my family. I also miss the beach!
Q: Any culture shocks?
A: Jessie - Everything in inches, feet and pounds. Trying to do weights in pounds is like going to a math class every week.
A: Isla - One culture shock for me was the air con. When it gets hot outside, and boy does it get hot, you still have to carry a jersey around because they blast the air con so much that it is freezing in the buildings.
A: Jill - That plastic supermarket bags still exist here
Good luck girls for your season ahead!
NZ U23 training squad
Congratulations to Madison Neale and Clayton Potts for being selected to the New Zealand U23 training squad. Both athletes are now living in Cambridge. Final trials are in June when the USA collegiate NZ nominated rowers come back to NZ.
Select crews will be competing in Duisberg, Germany in July at the 2026 World Rowing U23 Championships.
Lets go Clifton!
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