Christchurch Boys High School produces champions

Christchurch Boys is hoping for four or five medals throughout the groups this Maadi.

Their squad of 20 rowers and coxes are competing in the U15, U17 and U18 – but they do not have an U16 crew this year.

Coach, Logan Keys  is a champion rower himself, having been selected in the NZ U23 coxed four to compete at the 2013 World Championship in Austria, where he won silver.

He is now a national representative and member of the Canterbury rowing club.

Logan is from a well-known Canterbury family who is a part of NZ Rowing history.

Uncle George Keys rowed for NZ in the coxed four and won a bronze at the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul.

Auntie Trudy Keys is the NZ secondary school rowing (NZSSRA) president.

On his mother’s side Granddad Trevor Lebas also coached Christchurch Boys High, back in the 1970s.

The family affair continues  throughout the Christchurch squad.

Logan said  about half of the team have family rowing backgrounds.

“A lot of them have parents or siblings that have [rowed] for other schools or parents who row for clubs – that does always influence who takes up the sport.”

Previous Christchurch Boys  rowers have gone on to achieve big things and now represent NZ in different sports.

Chiefs player Brodie Retallick rowed for CBHS,  as did Alister Bond (Hamish Bond’s younger brother) who is now a Rowing NZ team member who competed in the light weight four that won silver at the 2014 World Championships and George Enerson who went on to become goalie for the  Black Sticks.