Spring 2025 newsletter
- hamish8572
- Oct 9
- 3 min read
Welcome to the new rowing season. The hard work starts now for our rowers. If you're new to the club and sport, welcome. We hope that you will enjoy the experience of rowing. If you're a parent or supporter don’t be afraid to ask us a question.
Registrations are NOW OPEN
Reminder to register to Rowing NZ via the Rowing Connect link.
Everyone involved in rowing - including rowers (licensed and unlicensed), coaches, volunteers, officials, committee members, parents of juniors, life members, and others—will now be required to register individually with Rowing NZ.
First year rowers and their parents will need to follow the Google Forms sign-up link that has been provided by Messenger Group chats
New boat purchase
We are very thankful to the Pelorus Trust for a recent grant, enabling the
club to purchase a new double scull boat from SLR. We hope to have this
in time for the large regattas in early 2026
Upcoming events calendar
22 Nov. - Johns trophy (Location: Waitara)
29 Nov. - Jury Cup (Location: Whanganui)
11 Dec. - Karapiro Christmas regatta (Location: Karapiro)
23 Jan. - North Island club champs (Location: Karapiro)
18 Feb. - New Zealand Rowing Champs (Location: Karapiro)
6 Mar. - North Island Secondary Schools (Location: Karapiro)
23 Mar. - Maadi cup (Location: Twizel)
Celebrating our success
Congratulations to Jodi Haskell for being awarded ‘Coach of the year’ at the recent Whanganui Rowing Association annual awards ceremony. Truly deserved effort.
Last season under Jodi’s guidance, his School crews achieved the following results:
North Island Secondary Schools regatta: x12 A-finals, from which crews secured x4 SILVER medals and x1 BRONZE medal
Maadi Cup (NZ Secondary School Championships) x6 A Finals: x1 GOLD, x1 SILVER, x1 BRONZE
Photo: 2025 U16 Boys 2x Maadi cup champions (Noah Prendergast & Oli Kohlhase)
Coxswain workshops via ZOOM
RNZ and Sam Bosworth have teamed up to offer four Coxing Coaching Courses. Two Introduction to Coxing Course & two Intermediate (Level 2) Courses. These workshops will be held via Zoom, links will be sent out once registrations have been completed.
For more information on the courses please refer to our website Coxswain Workshops : RowingNZ
To register for a course please use the links below for the course date you would like to attend.
This year we are using Rowing Connect for registrations, this means payment for the course will be taken at the time of registration. Course Fee is $27 per person.
Contact hamish@althermtaranaki.co.nz if you are keen to sign up. The club will cover the cost.
From the archives: Clifton RC history
George Henry Topless was a distinguished rower from Taranaki, New Zealand, and a key member of the Clifton Rowing Club’s championship crew. He helped secure the New Zealand men’s coxed four title in both 1938 and 1939. When the crew’s original stroke, Gerry Fowler, departed to serve in the war, Topless stepped into the position, and the team went on to win the national title once again.
The 1938–1939 crew consisted of Gerry Fowler (stroke), Barry Old, Frank Olsson, George Topless, and Maurice Crow (coxswain), with George Marshall as their coach.
Upstairs in the Clifton Rowing Club’s rooms, two of George Topless’s blazers are proudly displayed. One of these is the distinguished “Red Coat,” a prestigious honour in New Zealand rowing awarded to winners of premier events such as the single sculls, double sculls, coxless pairs, coxed fours, and eight-oar races.
Beyond rowing, Topless served his country during World War II as a gunner in the New Zealand Ordnance Corps (service number 484117). His service record is preserved in the Cenotaph Database at the Auckland War Memorial Museum. For his service, he was awarded the War Medal 1939–1945 and the New Zealand War Service Medal.
Be Inspired
Check out this documentary which chronicles the NZ Men’s rowing 8+ coach, Tony O’Connor and the squad's remarkable journey to Olympic Gold in Tokyo
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