St Paul’s coxed eight are perfecting form up to the gate

St Paul’s under 18 boys coxed eight rowing team are going for gold with one week to go before the National Championships.

The team scored second at the North Island finals and were two seconds behind first place.

Three months ago only three of the students in the team had rowed together making their form all the more impressive.

Head of Rowing at St Paul’s and former New Zealand rowing champion, Graham Oberlin-Brown, explained.

“It takes a lot of work to get a team in sync with each other. We’ll be working on it right up until the Cup.”

An institution exuding class St Paul’s students are focusing more on individual rowers within the eight and overall form as opposed to beating other schools.

That in mind – they are quietly confident that they will do well even with strong competition on its way up from the South Island.

Sam Horrit, Henry Wills, James Ingham, Thomas Hislop, Connor Gordon, Kerwan Rose and Charles Christey make up the eight with Kelly Foree keeping them straight as cox.

The Maadi Cup has an added air of significance for four of the young athletes with applications to row for New Zealand in the Junior World Championships underway.

“They have a very good chance of being picked up,” Oberlin-Brown said.

Next week The Maadi Cup regatta will take place at Lake Karapiro in Cambridge and St Paul’s coxed eight boys will be winners whatever the result.

“Why is there a lady here taking pictures of us?”

“Because she heard your good.”