Mt Albert Grammar thrive in lead up to Maadi Regatta

With encouraging results from recent rowing regattas, a resurgent Mt Albert Grammar is a school to watch out for at the Maadi regatta at Lake Karapiro next week.

The boys under16 eight placed first in their A-final at Head of Harbour Auckland Secondary Schools regatta in February, ahead of well-known local rivals Auckland Grammar School and Sacred Heart College (Auckland).

They went on to win a silver medal at the North Island Secondary School Championships at Lake Karapiro in early March. Grayson Dauphin, a prefect who has been selected for the Auckland rowing development squad, also collected a silver medal for under 18 single sculls.

Head Coach Will Maling is pleased with the squad’s results. “It’s great to get the first medals in 30 odd years. The programme is building momentum and the next few years should be very exciting,” Maling said.

Rowing has been recently reintroduced at Mt Albert Grammar. The school previously held the third most Maadi Cup titles before the programme was stopped in the 1980s.

The programme was restarted four years ago, which means the squad is currently up against more established schools with more resources.

“We have to be a bit more creative than other schools,” Maling said.

Mt Albert Grammar has 42 rowers, and Maling says they are always trying to recruit more. This will be the first time since re-forming that they have had a girls crew in the squad.

“We’re trying to rebuild the rowing culture within the school, it’s hard to get more students to join as it is not something all their friends are doing,” he said.

Although they don’t have a crew to enter into the Maadi Cup race this year, Maling hopes to have an under18 senior boys eight to enter next year, along with an under18 senior girls eight to enter in the girls equivalent, the Levin Jubilee Cup race.

“We’re just hoping to get some medals.”