Three Kitchins in one boat

Triplets are a rare phenomenon, triplets who row together in the same eights crew at the Maadi Cup are like hens’ teeth.

The Kitchin boys, Matthew, Luke and Liam, will all row for a place in Maadi Cup history on Saturday when they compete in the premier boys’ under-18 eights, as part of the Napier Boys’ High School crew.

Having three kids competing at such an elite level in the sport at the same time is a rewarding experience for parents Trevor and Vicky, but it isn’t without its problems.

“Usually they get up at the very last minute (for training in the morning), just enough time to put clothes on and eat Weetbix, that’s at 5.30. After training they come home and eat again before school, it’s a very quick turnaround,” said Vicky.

“It’s a hugely long day, they have no complaints about going to bed at 8 o’clock!”

In a sport which is renowned for its high costs for families, having three children attending the same events at the same time means costs often come in large waves, not always directly associated with rowing.

“They eat a lot of Weetbix before they go. We go through the big packs of Weetbix, maybe six a week, it’s just keeping them fed really.”

Luckily Trevor and Vicky are fairly experienced when it comes to life as rowing parents. Their eldest son Jason was a Maadi Cup winner back in 2008 as part of the Hamilton Boys’ High School crew.

“They were keen to do it, they are very self-motivated. They won’t let anybody in their boat down,” Vicky said about the triplets following in Jason’s footsteps.

This will be the boys’ first year racing together in the premier Maadi Cup race, but they already have experience in the regatta after last year competing as novices in the eights category.

With another year at school to go, the Kitchins will have the opportunity to compete again next season for the top prize in New Zealand secondary school rowing whether they win or lose on Saturday.

“We had a little taste of it last year when they rowed as novices…that was the first time the three of them had been in the same boat, they won that race and I was fairly emotional about that to be honest,” said Trevor

While the boys’ remain in perfect unison on the water, Vicky says they do have the occasional moment that you would expect from brothers who spend so much time together.

“I would say they love one another fiercely, but because they are living so closely together there is always someone in your face and they will argue at times, but mostly they get on.

“They don’t rib one another about what happens at rowing and they are not jealous of one another.”

Looking ahead, both mum and dad hope the boys will head off to university when the time comes but were coy when asked whether they hoped the boys would pursue rowing as a career.

“I think they do, we haven’t discussed it as such, it’s very daunting, it costs an awful lot to get your kids through,” said Trevor.