Semi-Finals conclude at the 2021 Aon Maadi Cup


Spots in the A Finals for all events are now secured after a full day of Semi-Finals at Lake Karapiro.

Today also saw the return of the infamous coxswain’s sprint. Athletes from all schools had 24 hour’s notice to coach their coxswains in sculling or sweeping, with 220 coxswains taking to the water for a 500m sprint in mixed gender, composite fours and quads.

Girls' U15 Coxed Quad

Four semi-finals of the girls’ U15 coxed quad were contested with the top two placing crews in each still in contention for medals in the A Final, scheduled for 9.10am Friday morning. It was an even split between Islands with Hillcrest High School's Rowan Giles, Mia Begbie-Daniel, Raetara David, Lilyko Feehily and Bria Duncan (cox) winning Semi-Final one, and Takapuna’s Kira Sharrock, Nia Shipkov, Rea Kearns, Lauren Dwyer and Sydelle Langis (cox) winning Semi-Final four. Burnside High School’s Sam Rankin, Kate Ryall, Katy Mitchell, Poppy Knight and Abbie Maye (cox) won Semi-Final two, and Dunstan High School’s Marzella Debeer (stroke), Maycee Williams, Tahlia Nelson, Chloe Robertson and Billy Grant (cox) won Semi-Final three. Tomorrow's A Final also includes crews from Rangi Ruru Girls' School, St Peters School (Cambridge), Cambridge High School and Auckland Diocesan.

Boys’ U18 Single

24 crews challenged Semi-Finals in the boys’ U18 single, an event which has become the most competitive it’s been in years. Coached by previous New Zealand rower Axel Dickinson, Riley Wills of St Paul’s Collegiate won Semi-Final one in 7:26.52. Huanui College’s Will Tattersfield won Semi-Final two (7:34.53), Xavier Simpkins of St Peter’s College (Auckland) won Semi-Final three (7:38.63) and Ashley-James Fitzgerald of Marlborough Boys’ College won Semi-Final four (7:41.43).

Girls’ U15 Double

Crews only needed to place in the top four of two Semi-Finals in the girls’ U15 double to keep themselves in the running for medals in the event’s A Final on Saturday morning. Burnside High School’s Sam Rankin and Kate Ryall won Semi-Final one, with Olivia Mazey and Jess Sutherland of Wellington Girls' College winning Semi-Final two.

Boys’ U15 Double

24 crews contested the boys’ U15 double across four Semi-Finals, with Timaru Boys' High School the only South Island crew taking a first place finish. St John’s College, St Peter’s College (Auckland) and Wellington College also taking first place and moving onto Saturday’s A Final.

Girls’ U18 Single

Sophie Smith of Dunstan High School recorded the fastest time (7:59.91) in the girls’ U18 single Semi-Finals. The top two placing crews in all four Semi-Finals move through to the event’s A Final, with Sacred Heart Girls’ College (Hamilton), St Mary's College, Napier Girls’ High School, St Andrews College, Hauraki Plains College, Nelson College For Girls and Iona College joining Dunstan on Saturday.

Boys’ U16 Single

Onewhero Area School’s Jack Henry progressed to the A Final with the fastest Semi-Final time in the boys’ U16 single (7:28.89). Matthew King of Cromwell College took the second fastest Semi-Final time, joining Henry in the A Final on Saturday afternoon.

Tomorrow’s racing will see the beginning of A and B Finals, including the girls’ and boys’ U17 single events. Beginning in 2018, Aon’s Maadi Cup Legacy initiative provides the school of both the boy’s and girl’s U17 single scull winners with equipment, and tomorrow’s gold medalling schools will once again take home a new Laszlo skiff.

How to follow all the action

  • A full event schedule, entries and live results are available on rowit.nz
  • An event programme is available online at rowingnz.kiwi. The event programme contains Finals race schedules, competing club codes and colours, full 2021 entries, and details of all trophies and all historic results.
  • A live stream of racing will be available on Friday 26 and Saturday 27 March at maadi.co.nz
  • Photos, videos and updates will be posted regularly on the Aon Maadi Cup's Instagram and Facebook platforms
  • SKY Sports will screen a highlights package on the 2021 Aon Maadi Cup from 1 April

Principal Sponsor

Fostering secondary school rowing is incredibly important – it generates talent for future New Zealand representatives, but more importantly it helps grow New Zealand’s youth into great people. Aon New Zealand has a strong record of supporting young New Zealanders, assisting them to achieve their potential in the sports of their choosing.

In recent years their support has stretched to working with secondary schools directly and providing much needed equipment. The Aon Maadi Cup remains one of the biggest secondary school sporting events in New Zealand and we’re proud to work alongside Aon to bring it to life each year.