Victoria crowned champions at inaugural Oceania U22 Teams Rowing Championships

The inaugural Oceania Under 22 Teams Rowing Championships concluded in dramatic fashion on Sunday at West Lakes, South Australia, with Victoria claiming the Rusty Robertson Perpetual Trophy as the most successful team across the three-day regatta.

The event, hosted by Rowing South Australia, brought together elite emerging talent from across Australia and New Zealand in a trans-Tasman clash of youth rowing prowess.

Teams from almost every Australian state and territory competed alongside North Island and South Island representatives from New Zealand across a full racing schedule, ranging from Single Sculls to the blue-riband Coxed Eights.

Despite challenging weather that forced time trials on Friday due to unsafe crosswinds, the regatta resumed with traditional side-by-side racing over the weekend, culminating in a thrilling final day of competition.

Sunday’s Eights events provided a fitting climax.

The Men’s Coxed Eight produced the tightest race of the regatta, with South Australia launching a late charge to steal Gold from the North Island New Zealand crew in a photo finish.

The home crew surged through the final 500 metres, overtaking both Victoria and New Zealand to win by just 0.26s.

Victoria rounded out the podium, finishing less than a length ahead of the South Island crew in a high-quality field.

In the Women’s Coxed Eight, the combined North and South Island crew from New Zealand proved dominant, surging to a commanding victory over Victoria, who edged out Queensland and hosts SA in a tight battle for the minor placings.

Victoria bounced back in the Mixed Coxed Eight, showing depth and determination to pull away over the final 500 metres and hold off a fast-finishing Tasmania.

Queensland and South Australia followed in quick succession, showcasing the depth of the field.

Saturday’s racing added to the spectacle, with South Australia and Victoria emerging as medal leaders.

The SA Men’s Coxless Four, stroked by Henry Belcher, mounted a stirring sprint finish to take Gold over Queensland and NZ North Island.

Queensland returned serve in the Women’s Coxless Four, holding off South Australia by just over a second in the closest race of the day, with Victoria third by under a boat length.

Victoria claimed Gold in the Men’s Quad Scull, narrowly ahead of ACT and South Australia, while NZ North Island took the Women’s Quad title, finishing ahead of Victoria and Tasmania.

At the end of Saturday, Victoria and South Australia each held two Golds apiece, setting up a final-day showdown for the overall team honours.

Friday’s wild weather required officials to abandon side-by-side racing in favour of individual time trials for small boats.

Crews competed over 2000 metres in 30-second intervals along the eastern lanes, a method regularly used in FISA competition to ensure fairness in adverse conditions.

Despite early weather disruptions, the standard of racing and sportsmanship throughout the weekend received high praise.

Athletes, coaches, and officials voiced strong support for the event's continuation, recognising its importance as a high-performance development opportunity bridging the gap between junior and senior international competition.

Rowing SA President Phil Mangelsdorf commended the event's success.

“This regatta has brought together the best young talent in Oceania, and despite the challenges, the racing has been exceptional,” Mangelsdorf said.

"We hope to see this event grow into a permanent fixture on the rowing calendar.”

With Victoria crowned the first-ever Oceania U22 Teams Champions and the Rusty Robertson Trophy heading across the border, the 2025 regatta has set a strong precedent for years to come.