2017 Aon Maadi Cup biggest on record


In just over a week’s time thousands of school rowers and spectators will be lining the banks of Lake Karapiro for the 2017 Aon Maadi Cup (New Zealand Secondary School Rowing Championships).

This year’s edition will be the biggest on record, with 2161 competitors entered plus 131 reserves. A total of 127 schools from around New Zealand will be represented.

One of the largest secondary school sports events in New Zealand, and one of the largest rowing regattas in the Southern Hemisphere, the Aon Maadi Cup carries with it vast prestige and history.

The regatta begins on Monday 27 March and runs for six days, with the event concluding on Saturday 1 April.

The regatta caters for both sculling and sweep rowing with 52 events across a range of age categories. Rowers in their first year of the sport can also compete in their own novice category.

Races will be held 4 minutes apart for the early stage heats and repechages and finals days sees races at 10 minute intervals. It will take over 500 races to complete this week long regatta.

The largest entries can be found in the boys’ under-16 single sculls event with a full field of 65 athletes entered. The girls’ under-16 single sculls event also boasts strong numbers with 51 athletes entered.

The rowers will take part in four age group categories; under-15, under-16, under-17 and under-18 and in a range of boat classes including singles, pairs, doubles, fours, quads, eights and octuples.

The Maadi Cup is the prize for the boys’ premier event, the boys' under-18 eight but ’Maadi Cup’ has also become the colloquial name given to the rowing regatta.

Other top prizes at the regatta are the Levin Jubilee Cup for the girls’ under-18 eight, the Springbok Shield which will be awarded to the boys’ under-18 coxed four and the Dawn Cup for the girls’ under-18 coxed four.

Online results: http://www.rowit.co.nz/entry/mads2017