Nationals + NISS + Maadi = Busy times!
- hamish8572
- Mar 13
- 4 min read
After our last post, we were about to head into the NZ Rowing National championships campaign. Since then we've raced Nationals, North Island Secondary Schools, and now building into the season finale: The Maadi cup. Its been hectic. Read on to see how our rowers got on, and stories of Maadi legends......
Regatta review - 2026 NZ Rowing championships - Lake Karapiro
"Ka Mua, Ka Muri": This Māori proverb encapsulates the idea of walking backward into the future, keeping the past in sight to guide the journey. And so the 2026 journey should look back at our past success.
In 2018, on the stunning blue waters of Lake Ruataniwha, Clifton crews had agonised over being so close, yet missing out on a medal and finishing fourth in their respective A-finals three times at the National Club Championships regatta.
That however was all about to change when Liam Cox and his crew mate Josh Toa stomped home to win their Men's U19 double scull event and become national champions. With this win, the Clifton club flag was hoisted back home in Waitara to celebrate a new national champion!
Five long years would pass before the flag would fly again to celebrate the achievements of a crew winning a national club title. Many Silver medals were won, but the gold medal and with it the title of national champion was very elusive.
In 2023, the five year drought was over when our Women's Club double scull crew of Madison Neale and Jill Zwart delivered on their potential.
Incredibly, the flag has since been hoisted at every National championship regatta since 2023, and 2026 was no different.
Our crews enjoyed another outstanding regatta and secured 17 A-finals, and 7 B-finals.
Two national titles won.
Read on for the results.................
Centennial Oar (Overall Champion club) 7th out of 33 clubs
Centennial Scull (Champion sculling club) 5th out of 26 clubs
M Club 2x = J.Hurley, O.Kohlhase (1st)
W Intermediate 4x+ = C Colbourne, F O'Sullivan, I Stewart, E Strohmeier + R Fuller (1st)
M Novice 4x+ = G O'Sullivan, B Sheely, O Keller, T Crowley + M Seator (2nd)
M Novice 2x = G O'Sullivan, B Sheely (2nd)
M Club 4x = J Hurley, N Prendergast, B Leicester, H Perry (2nd)
W Novice 2x = G Robinson, K Muller 4th, R Murdoch, L Helms (9th)
M Novice 8+ = T Crowley, O Keller, B Sheely, G O'Sullivan, S Richardson, S Schofield, E Stoddard, L Hay-Vega + C Herbert (4th)
M Senior 2x = L Cox, C Potts (4th)
W Intermediate 2x = C Colbourne, E Strohmeier 4th, F O'Sullivan, I Stewart (6th)
M Novice 4x+ = S Richardson, S Schofield, E Stoddard, L Hay-Vega + A Young (5th)
M Senior 4x = L Cox, C Potts, O Kohlhase, S Williams (8th)
W Novice 8+ = R Murdoch, K Muller, M Quinn, O Williams, G Robinson, L Helms, G Keith, E McKinnon + C Herbert (8th)
W Novice 4x+ = R Murdoch, K Muller, G Robinson, L Helms + A Young (5th)
M Novice 2x = T Crowley, O Keller (9th)
M Senior 1x = C Potts (5th)
Regatta review - 2026 North Island Secondary Schools - Lake Karapiro
According to our club president, Gus Berghan, this was our most successful NISS regatta.
Five Taranaki Schools were represented: Inglewood High (1), FDMC (10), NPGHS (5), NPBHS (2), SHGC (7)
Our crews collectively qualified 11 A-Finals (x1 GOLD, x4 SILVER, x1 BRONZE), 6: B-Finals
BU17 2x = N Prendergast, O.Kohlhase 1st (FDMC)
BU17 1x = O.Kohlhase 2nd (FDMC), J.Hurley 7th (NPBHS)
Gu18 2x = C Colbourne, F O'Sullivan 6th (SHGC)
GU16 1x = E Strohmeier 8th (SHGC)
BU18 Nov 2x = T Crowley, E. Stoddard 8th (FDMC)
GU18 Nov 2x = G.Robinson, K.Muller 2nd (NPGHS)
GU18 Nov 4x+ = R Murdoch, K Muller, G Robinson, L Helms + T Walker 2nd (NPGHS)
BU18 Nov 4x+ = T Crowley, G O'Sullivan, E Stoddard, O Keller + M Seator 3rd (FDMC)
BU18 2x = J Hurley, B Leicester 2nd (NPBHS), N Prendergast, O Kohlhase 7th (FDMC)
MAADI CUP – A proud but rare legacy for Taranaki school rowers
The Maadi Cup is widely regarded as the pinnacle of secondary school rowing in New Zealand — and the largest school sporting event in the Southern Hemisphere, attracting thousands of athletes annually to compete for national honours. For Taranaki schools, success at Maadi has historically been hard-earned, making each achievement especially significant.
Early Success: The 1962 Breakthrough
Taranaki’s most famous early milestone came in 1962, when New Plymouth Boys' High School won the coveted boys’ U18 coxed eight — the Maadi Cup itself.
For decades, this victory stood as the benchmark for the region, highlighting the strength of rowing development emerging from provincial New Zealand during the sport’s formative school years.
Crew: C.Evans, J.Boyd, G.Walter, P.Hagen (Stroke), J.Walter, M.Dennis, R.Dickie (Cox), L.McEldowney, and B.Allen
Coaches: Mr. Noel Lynch, and J.J Stewart
Source: Taranaki Photo News, https://new-plymouth.com/a1/1962/apr62.pdf
A Long Wait — and a Historic Modern Win
After the 1962 triumph, Taranaki crews experienced a lengthy gap between national secondary school titles. While local schools regularly qualified crews and finalists, outright victories at Maadi level were rare.
59 years later, that changed dramatically. In 2021, at Lake Karapiro Sophia Hodson of Sacred Heart Girls' College (New Plymouth) stormed home to win the Girls’ Under-17 Single Sculls title.
Sophia's victory was historic for several reasons:
It marked Taranaki’s first Maadi regatta title since 1962.
Sophia became the first female Maadi Cup champion from Taranaki.
Check out the Seven Sharps feature about Sophia's triumph
Four years later - Another victory to saviour
2025: Boys U16 2x (GOLD)
Crew: Noah Prenderghast and Oli Kohlhase (Francis Douglas Memorial College)
Coach: Jodi Haskell
With 32 crews from around the country entered in the event, only the winners of the four heats progressed directly to the A Final. Crews that missed direct entry were given a second opportunity through the repechage two days later.
Noah and Oli delivered exactly what was required, winning their heat convincingly to secure direct qualification for the A Final and avoid the repechage. In doing so, they recorded the fastest time of all 32 crews, firmly establishing themselves as a leading contender heading into the final.
However, as rowing history repeatedly shows, an A Final guarantees nothing — and it is often the underdogs who rise to the occasion when it matters most.
Click the link below to rewatch their Gold medal winning performance. Fast forward to the 36 minute mark
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