2018 Under 21 Trans Tasman Regattas

The Australian team after winning the series

This regatta was run in two parts as in the past. The first leg was held in Sydney from 28-30 June 2018 with the second leg held at Lake Karapiro in New Zealand from 23-25 August 2018.

This is a teams event very similar to past series and highly effective in providing high level competition in a number of boat classes. There is one reserve per gender per team and squad rather than crew coaches.

The scullers row singles and a double. The sweep rowers pairs and a four. The scullers and sweep rowers combine into eights. The reserves race a mixed double scull.

Points for racing are awarded in the finals as follows:

For W1x, M1x, W2- and M2-,
1st – 6 points
2nd – 4 points
3rd – 2 points
4th – 1 point

For LW2x, LM2x, W4-, M4-, W4x, M4x, W8+ and M8+
1st – 6 points
2nd – 4 points

For LW1x, LM1x and MixL2x
1st – 2 points
2nd – 1 point

Medals are awarded to the first-placed boat in each category.

A reminder that points are calculated as follows:

The teams compete for the Rusty Robertson Trophy. In 2018, the trophy was retained by Australia in a very close battle - Australia 290 points to New Zealand 272.

The Rusty Robertson Trophy

The RA website reported as follows:

Australia’s performance at this year’s Trans-Tasman Regatta saw the team not only win the first leg of the regatta, held in Penrith, earlier this year, but also retain their winning margin over the New Zealanders throughout the three-days of racing in New Zealand. The second leg of the regatta saw Australia and New Zealand joined by a small Under 21 team from Canada, with the Canadians able to win medals at the event but not claim points towards the prestigious trophy.

Penrith results

Prior to racing head coach Jason Lane reported to RA as follows:

The U21 team have been lucky enough to have the week preparing for this event at the Hancock Prospecting Women’s National Training Centre in Penrith. The group, who have been training with the Junior and Under 23 Australian Rowing Teams, have had access to the Nepean River, which has meant they have access to some fantastic on and off-water facilities throughout the lead up.

The team was lucky enough to hear to be presented with their uniforms by Olympic gold medallist, Kim Brennan, and I am sure Kim’s words of encouragement have inspired the whole team.

The RA website reported on this event as follows:

In testing conditions, the crews took to the water of the Sydney International Regatta Centre last Thursday morning to contest heats and finals in small boats. Wins came for Alex Grzeskowiak in the Men’s Single Scull, Paddy Holt and Nick Lavery (both UTS) in the Men’s Pair and Charlotte Wirtz in the Women’s Single Scull. New Zealand won all four of the lightweight events (single and double sculls, men’s and women’s) and the Women’s Pair. However, with multiple second, third and fourth placings, Australia finished the first day with a two point lead.

The second day of the regatta saw the teams step into Fours and Quadruple Sculls, while the reserves stepped into the Lightweight Mixed Double Sculls for racing. The Australian Men’s Coxless Four of Alex Nichol, Jackson Kench (both Sydney RC), Paddy Holt and Nick Lavery (UTS) beat their New Zealand counterparts in the heat and the final by a five second margin, whilst the Aussie Women’s Four lost. In the Quad Sculls, the New Zealand women also proved victorious over Australia’s crew of Celia Cowan, Michaela Franz (Sydney University), Charlotte Wirtz and Olivia Bartram (UTS). In the Men’s Quadruple Scull final, Nathan Kennedy, Rohan James, Matthew Murray (Sydney University) and Alex Grzeskowiak won over NZ.

Saturday saw much calmer conditions for big boat racing. The team combined into Openweight Eights for heats and finals, with the lightweight reserves racing alongside in a quad. Once again the NZ women led the Aussies in both the heat and the final, whilst the Australian men’s eight secured a commanding win despite increasingly choppy water and very slow conditions. Australia’s Women’s Eight featured Celia Cowan, Michaela Franz, Alexandra Findlay, Ella Bramwell, Sky Froebel, Kirstie Green, Charlotte Wirtz, Olivia Bartram and coxswain Phoebe Georgakas. The Men’s Eight line up was (from bow) Nathan Kennedy, Rohan James, Matthew Murray, Alex Grzeskowiak, Alex Nichol, Jackson Kench, Nick Lavery, Paddy Holt and coxswain Andrew Le.

At the end of the day Australia came away with 141 points to New Zealand’s 139. Australian U21 Team Head Coach, Jason Lane said: “The team has set themselves up well at the conclusion of the first leg of the regatta but there’s plenty for us to build on in the coming weeks, especially as we only have a two point lead over the Kiwis.

“The athletes will return to their home bases, training in small boats, and then we’ll reconvene in Canberra for a pre-departure camp in August, training in big boats, before we travel to Lake Karapiro for the second leg of the Trans-Tasman.

“It has been an extremely enjoyable weekend of rowing and I’d like to extend my gratitude and congratulations to the New Zealand team for making it such a competitive weekend of racing.”

Men's Scull

1st AUSTRALIA No 1 Alex Grzeskowiak 7:22.30
2nd AUSTRALIA No 2 Matt Murray 7:26.23 +3.93
3rd NEW ZEALAND No 1 TK McLaren-Taplin 7:29.65 +7.35
4th NEW ZEALAND No 2 Nathan Luff 7:33.77 +11.47

Men's Quad Scull

1st AUSTRALIA Nathan Kennedy, Rohan James, Matt Murray and Alex Grzeskowiak. Time: 6:11.92, Margin: 2.16
2nd NEW ZEALAND James Brott, Nathan Luff, TK McLaren-Taplin and Jordon Gasson

Men's Pairs

1st AUSTRALIA No 1 Nick Lavery and Paddy Holt
2nd NEW ZEALAND No 2 Angus Shotter, Blake Bradshaw
3rd AUSTRALIA No 2 Alex Nichol and Connor Ryan
4th NEW ZEALAND No 1 Joseph Graham, Cameron Donald

Men's Fours

1st AUSTRALIA Alex Nichol, Jackson Kench, Paddy Holt and Nick Lavery. Time: 6:25.82, Margin: 4.92
2nd NEW ZEALAND Joseph Graham, Cameron Donald, Blake Bradshaw and Angus Shotter

Men's Eight

1st AUSTRALIA Nathan Kennedy, Rohan James, Matthew Murray, Alex Grzeskowiak, Alex Nichol, Jackson Kench, Nick Lavery, Paddy Holt and coxswain Andrew Le. Time: 6:59.06, margin: 19.35
2nd NEW ZEALAND  Joseph Graham, Cameron Donald, Nathan Luff, TK McLaren-Taplin, Blake Bradshaw, Angus Shotter, James Brott, Jordan Gasson and coxswain Xavier Ram 

Australian Men's Eight

Photo courtesy of Steve McArthur, Rowing Celebration

New Zealand Men's Eight

Photo courtesy of Steve McArthur, Rowing Celebration

Men's Lightweight Scull

1st NEW ZEALAND Jack Castle
No Australian sculler competed so NZL raced in the W2 race

Men's Lightweight Double Scull

1st NEW ZEALAND James Brott, Jordan Gasson. Time: 6:45.02, Margin: 0.30
2nd AUSTRALIA Nathan Kennedy, Rohan James

Mixed Lightweight Double Scull

1st AUSTRALIA Portia Bennett and Connor Ryan. Time: 7:20.10, Margin: 4.60
2nd NEW ZEALAND Jack Castle and Kaylin Wren

Women's Scull

1st AUSTRALIA No 2 Charlotte Wirtz 8:17.37
2nd NEW ZEALAND No 2 Lily Butler 8:18.09 +0.72
3rd NEW ZEALAND No 1 Anna MacQuarrie 8:27.87 +10.50
4th AUSTRALIA WL1x No 1 Portia Bennett 41.74 +24.37

Women's Quad Scull

1st NEW ZEALAND Shannon Cox, Anna MacQuarrie, Justine Hobbs and Lily Butler. Time: 6:57.11, Margin: 2.99
2nd AUSTRALIA Celia Cowan, Michaela Franz, Charlotte Wirtz and Olivia Bartram

Women's Pair

1st NEW ZEALAND No 1 Jessica Turfrey, Grace Holland. Time: 7:53.28
2nd NEW ZEALAND No 2 Danika Caton, Claudia Mecchia. Time: 7:59.25
3rd AUSTRALIA No 1 Alessandra Findlay, Ella Bramwell. Time: 8:04.69
4th AUSTRALIA No 2 Sky Froebel, Kirstie Green. Time: 8:10.17

Women's Four

1st NEW ZEALAND Danika Caton, Claudia Mecchia, Grace Holland and Jessica Turfrey. Time: 7:07.51, Margin: 14.98
2nd AUSTRALIA Alexandra Findlay, Ella Bramwell, Skyla Froebel and Kirstie Green

Women's Eight

1st NEW ZEALAND Lily Butler, Shannon Cox, Anna MacQuarrie, Justine Hobbs, Danika Caton, Claudia Mecchia, Grace Holland, Jessica Turfrey and coxswain Kaitlyn Shields. Time: 7:55.24, margin 7.28
2nd AUSTRALIA Celia Cowan, Michaela Franz, Alexandra Findlay, Ella Bramwell, Sky Froebel, Kirstie Green, Charlotte Wirtz, Olivia Bartram and coxswain Phoebe Georgakas

Women's Lightweight Single

1st NEW ZEALAND Kaylin Wren. Time: 8:35.47, Margin: 17.97
2nd AUSTRALIA Portia Bennett

Women's Lightweight Double

1st NEW ZEALAND Justine Hobbs and Shannon Cox. Time: 7:29.86, Margin: 13.04
2nd AUSTRALIA Celia Cowan, Michaela Franz