Clifton Rowing Club

03/05/2026

Well done to all the rowers and club members who received awards from our annual prize giving! Also, a big congratulations to our Life members who received a traditional cap for their service! This cap has been aptly nicknamed “The Monty” in memory of our legend Pat Montgomerie!
And well done again to all our rowers and coaches who put everything into this season. The awards go to:
Personality of the year Sam Williams
Women’s Novice of the year Kate Muller
Most Improved Novice Edward Stoddard
Trudi Boison Memorial Jack Fuller
North Island Best result Men’s Club Coxless Quad
Coxwain of the year Mason Seator
Junior U15 Rower of the year Ruby Murdoch
Most Improved Oars person Isabella Stewart
Overall Club Member of the year Jason Williams
Sculler of the year Oliver Kohlhase
Outstanding Sculler of the year Clay Potts
Best Result at Maadi Cup Oliver Kohlhase
Best Novice result at Waitara Regatta Blake Shelly and Grady O’Sullivan
Supporter of the Year Pippa Kohlhase
Breakout Rower of the Year Oliver Kohlhase

28/04/2026

🗓️ Reminder: club prize giving this Saturday
🏆 Cups and trophies are engraved!
👏Come along and celebrate the season

15/04/2026

It's prizegiving time, looking forward to seeing everyone and celebrating another great year

14/04/2026

After more than 75 years, the iconic Clifton Club Blazer is making its return 🙌

We’re proud to bring this tradition back—and eligible members now have the opportunity to order their very own.

You’re eligible if you are:
• A Life Member
• A Coach
• A Committee Member (minimum 5 years’ service)
• A New Zealand Rowing Representative (any age group)
• A New Zealand National Champion (Intermediate grade or above – Novice excluded)

A great way to celebrate the history and achievements of our club 💙

Indicative pricing is ~$280 + shipping

Order form link and sizing guide/instruction per the attached link
https://www.clubblazersnz.co.nz/order-form

We are wanting to get ALL orders in by this Sunday evening

Please comment if you have any questions, or contact [email protected]

04/04/2026

Our last newsletter for the season.
Reviewing Maadi and what a few of our other rowers are up to.

Well, that's a wrap for our 2025/26 season, unless of course you're a masters rower, your season is just beginning. Massive thanks has to go out to our dedicated coaches for another big season of rowing. Hats off team!Read on to check out the run down of Maadi results, and find out what some of our....

28/03/2026

Maadi Cup – Day 6 Wrap-Up 🚣‍♂️

And that’s a wrap on a long and memorable week at Maadi Cup!

Massive congratulations to our entire team for their effort, resilience, and pride in representing their schools. A special thank you, as always, to our incredible coaching team for their unwavering support throughout the regatta.

We’re also hugely grateful to our amazing parent helpers who kept everything running smoothly—transporting, supporting, and keeping our athletes well-fed all week. We couldn’t do it without you.

Safe travels home, everyone 💙

Final Results:
• B U18 1x (NPBHS – Brody Leicester): 7th in A Final

• G N18 4x+ (NPGHS – Ruby Muller, Kate Murdoch, Gabbie Robinson, Lydia Helms + Trixie Walker): 6th in A Final

• B N18 4+ (FDMC – Tom Crowley, Grady O’Sullivan, Edward Stoddard, Oscar Keller + Mason Seator): 4th in B Final

• G U18 4x+ (SHGC – Cassie Colbourne, Francie O’Sullivan, Alara Thomson, Lucy Cameron + Ruby Fuller): 5th in B Final

• B U18 2x (FDMC – Jack Fuller, Hamish Perry): 8th in B Final

• B U18 2x (NPBHS – Jack Hurley, Brody Leicester): 4th in A Final

• B N18 4x+ (FDMC – Tom Crowley, Grady O’Sullivan, Edward Stoddard, Oscar Keller + Mason Seator): 5th in A Final

Proud of you all

27/03/2026

Maadi cup: Day 5 report

A day book ended with BRONZE.

Huge congratulations to Oli Kohlhase for taking out a bronze medal in the U17 single sculls final this morning! 🥉

Oli got off to a brilliant start, right up there with the top contenders from the first strokes. Just before the 1000m mark, he made a bold move—pushing hard and gaining a full boat length on the field.

With 800m to go, the NISS gold medalist from MAGS fought back and managed to take the lead heading into the finish. But Oli showed incredible grit and determination, digging deep to hold his place and secure the bronze in an epic battle right to the line.

Our crews fought hard all day in super competitive races. Not everyone can come away with a medal, but everyone should be proud of their effort that’s for sure.

Our last race of the day ended in Bronze when Oli and Noah capped off their seasons excellent form to secure 3rd in a tough under 17 2x. Well done lads.

Todays results:

B U17 1x (NPBHS: Jack Hurley) 2nd in B-Final
B U17 1x (FDMC: Oli Kohlhase) 3rd & BRONZE medal in A-Final
G U18 2x (SHGC: Cassie Colbourne & Francie O'Sullivan) 4th in B-Final
G U16 1x (SHGC: Elisa Strohmeier) 8th in A-Final
B N18 2x (FDMC: Grady O'Sullivan & Oscar Keller) 4th in B-Final
G N18 2x (NPGHS: Gabbie Robinson & Kate Muller) 6th in A-Final
B U17 2x (FDMC: Noah Prendergast & Oli Kohlhase) 3rd and BRONZE in A-Final

26/03/2026

Maadi cup: Day 4 report

While rain poured all day back home in Taranaki, Twizel once again delivered superb water under overcast skies. The temperature was chilly, but the racing was anything but, with several of our crews battling through fiercely contested semi-finals for coveted A Final spots.

Results:
G U18 1x (SHGC: Alara Thomson) – 3rd in quarter-final; backed up less than three hours later to place 3rd in the D Final

G N18 2x (NPGHS: Gabbie Robinson & Kate Muller) – 2nd in semi-final → A Final

B U17 2x (FDMC: Noah Prendergast & Oli Kohlhase) – 2nd in semi-final → A Final (just 0.2s separating the top three, and 0.4s covering the top four in the other semi)

B U18 1x (FDMC: Hamish Perry) – 3rd in C Final

B U18 1x (NPBHS: Brody Leicester) – 4th in semi-final → A Final (qualified by just 0.2s)

B N18 4x+ (FDMC: Grady O'Sullivan, Oscar Keller, Edward Stoddard, Tom Crowley, coxed by Mason Seator) – 3rd in semi-final → A Final

B U18 2x (NPBHS: Jack Hurley & Brody Leicester) – 1st in semi-final → A Final (Brody backing up from his epic semi-final less than two hours earlier)

B U18 2x (FDMC: Jack Fuller & Hamish Perry) – 6th in semi-final → B Final

Tomorrow, seven of our crews are racing in 3 B-finals, and 4 A-finals.

25/03/2026

Maadi cup: Day 3 report

Well it’s been yet another stunning day at Lake Ruataniwha.

Today, three of our crews progressed through their quarter finals and booked themselves into the semi finals. SHGC’s Cassie and Francie booked their U18 2x semi with a solid effort.
Brodie (NPBHS) booking his U18 1x semi slot in a tough field. Noah and Oli (FDMC) secured their semi final ticket and threw down the fastest time in their U17 2x. Looking at the times these are going to be highly competitive semi’s.

Five other crews narrowly missed A final slots and have another shot in their respective B finals. Well done to the Boys Novice 18 4+ (FDMC) who were so close to nailing an A final in a sweep event.

Two more crews gained their A final tickets. Congratulations to Elisa (SHGC) in a stellar U16 1x semifinal.
Oli (FDMC) backed up his U17 2x race with an excellent semi to secure one of the middle lanes for the A final in what should be a cracker race.

Some of our rowers may not get the results they had hoped and trained so hard for, but in the words of newly appointed All Blacks assistant coach (& Taranaki good bu**er) Neil Barnes “if you work hard for a long time good things will happen”.

Big thanks to our parent helpers preparing meals and driving our athletes between home and the lake.
Good luck coaches, we’re all in awe of the work you do.

24/03/2026

Maadi cup: Day 2 report
Another day of perfect conditions in Twizel for our rowers. All of our rowers have now raced in that thinner air high up in the Mackenzie basin.
2,287! That’s how many School rowers/coxswains are competing. So qualification is tough.

Heat times will be compared with other heats. Are crews keeping their cards close to their chest, or are they playing their hand now to ensure progression and/or get into their competitors head to show strength. All will be revealed as we go further into the program.
Our crews had 15 races today with 8 crews gaining direct qualification to their respective quarter or semi finals and therefore avoid the repechage route. Our NPGHS Novice 4X+ crew booked their A final spot today with 4th fastest time over all the heats, continuing their strong NISS form where they placed 2nd.

Tomorrow we’re getting into the business end of the regatta with final repechage’s, quarters and semis with no second chances. With bad weather imminent it’ll be super important to lay down quick times to keep progressing. Go get em guys!

23/03/2026

Day 1 for our Taranaki School crews is in the bag at the Maadi cup regatta in Twizel. Taranaki is represented by FDMC (9), NPBHS (2), NPGHS (5) and SHGC (7).

Great rowing by all our crews today. Eleven nervous crews put it all on the line against New Zealand’s best Secondary School rowers. Eight of the eleven progressed through to the next stage of their respective events.

Good luck tomorrow team, we’re all behind you.