GPS schoolboy rowing 2024

[BoysfromtheBxW]

Just out of interest does anyone know if there are any better lanes at Sirc? Have been wondering for a while and just can’t work out if crews have been training harder or if crews are dropping off. Good luck to all crews for the rest of the day.
-BoysfromtheBxW

 

[The Chairman]

Well. What a day. This signals a massive shift in the landscape of AAGPS Rowing going into HOTR. King’s now the favourites with a neat time of sub 5:55. St Joseph’s switch roles from markers to chasers. 2nd VIII has Ignatius in the lead, I can’t see them losing that. The fours is now up for grabs, with Shore’s 3rd and King’s 4th IV snatching wins. Game on!

 

[The Chairman]

Just out of interest does anyone know if there are any better lanes at Sirc? Have been wondering for a while and just can’t work out if crews have been training harder or if crews are dropping off. Good luck to all crews for the rest of the day.
-BoysfromtheBxW

Really you want 4 and 5. Middle of the pack gives you views on the rest of the field with ease. Allows you too keep eyes in the boat too.

 

[BoysfromtheBxW]

Shore's 3rd IV was >16 seconds faster than their 2nd IV today..... must have got their race entries mixed up......

Interesting… I dont believe this is stacking though because it is the exact same crew as rowed in the last regatta. Always a possibility that these boys are just a great combination together rather than pulling better ergos. I think it is stupid to accuse any schools of stacking at this time of year as some crews peak at this time and it isn’t very smart to change combinations so close to hotr.

 

[Backintheolddays]

Well. What a day. This signals a massive shift in the landscape of AAGPS Rowing going into HOTR. King’s now the favourites with a neat time of sub 5:55. St Joseph’s switch roles from markers to chasers. 2nd VIII has Ignatius in the lead, I can’t see them losing that. The fours is now up for grabs, with Shore’s 3rd and King’s 4th IV snatching wins. Game on!

Not really, was always a strong year for Kings 1st VIII. Pulled a 6 flat in Nov first race of the year with 3 out. Their absence from several races may have dropped them from some radars but I think I know who the coaches have been watching all season. Should've won Gold Cup but subject to the foibles of errant steering (eastern suburbs types expect everyone to get out of the way). Given conditions they'll give breaking 5.50 a crack on the day, with Joeys a solid second and View third.

Also not a surprise but gee I'm impressed with the depth and quality of the View IV's.
Still expect View to get up for 2nd VIII but Kings will push them.
Junior VIII's open with a good contest and performance on teh day to win it.

 

[Backintheolddays]

Looks like most of the schools have scratched out of the MO8

 

[GPS OB1]

Really you want 4 and 5. Middle of the pack gives you views on the rest of the field with ease. Allows you too keep eyes in the boat too.

Not today. Wind coming across. Would have rathered outside lane this morning (marginal cross tail) and inside lane in afternoon (cross head).

 

[The Grail]

Interesting… I dont believe this is stacking though because it is the exact same crew as rowed in the last regatta. Always a possibility that these boys are just a great combination together rather than pulling better ergos. I think it is stupid to accuse any schools of stacking at this time of year as some crews peak at this time and it isn’t very smart to change combinations so close to hotr.

Well, either the coaches are doing a shite job of grading the rowers or its deliberate, but > 16 seconds difference between the 2nd & 3rd IVs in the wrong order is noticeable to all. Its not "stupid", its logical, your faster crew (by > 5 lengths) is your higher crew, ie 2nd IV in this example.

As far as changing combinations, Shores 3rd IV was a completely different crew a couple of weeks ago. Not one of the five crew members the same, one was in the 1st IV, one in the 2nd IV, that's cool, change combinations, but they must be in the correct order of boat speed, the difference today between the 2nd & 3rd IV was huge.

I respect Shore, they are better than that.

 

[The Chairman]

Well, either the coaches are doing a shite job of grading the rowers or its deliberate, but > 16 seconds difference between the 2nd & 3rd IVs in the wrong order is noticeable to all. Its not "stupid", its logical, your faster crew (by > 5 lengths) is your higher crew, ie 2nd IV in this example.

As far as changing combinations, Shores 3rd IV was a completely different crew a couple of weeks ago. Not one of the five crew members the same, one was in the 1st IV, one in the 2nd IV, that's cool, change combinations, but they must be in the correct order of boat speed, the difference today between the 2nd & 3rd IV was huge.

I respect Shore, they are better than that.

Spoke to a Shore parent in the grandstand today, mail is that the 2nd IV have been struck by sickness and still decided to race. Probably not the best idea, but they did it nonetheless. Give it a week or two and it will get back to normality.

 

[The Chairman]

Looks like most of the schools have scratched out of the MO8

Always respect King's for going through to the Mens Open races when most don't. I don't remember them ever scratching from a later race in a long while.

 

[Backintheolddays]

Actually they do it more than their supporters enjoy, but perhaps that was sarcasm I didn’t detect thru the interwebs …

 

[The Chairman]

It's been a long time coming to this point but I've finally got the stats fully verified by RowingNSW, with some additional help from @The Grail with Ignatius. There's been a few inconsistencies here and there but I've finally got it all right and hot to go. Here are the stats that we will be travelling into HOTR2024 with.

Note: We have never had a what I'm coining as a "Super Grand Slam" which includes all Junior boats winning too. The closest was Shore in 2004 and 2016, in which they only lost 2 races, both in the Juniors. Ignatius got close, but lost 3 last year.

 

[Rudderless]

It's been a long time coming to this point but I've finally got the stats fully verified by RowingNSW, with some additional help from @The Grail with Ignatius. There's been a few inconsistencies here and there but I've finally got it all right and hot to go. Here are the stats that we will be travelling into HOTR2024 with.
View attachment 18284
View attachment 18285
View attachment 18286
Note: We have never had a what I'm coining as a "Super Grand Slam" which includes all Junior boats winning too. The closest was Shore in 2004 and 2016, in which they only lost 2 races, both in the Juniors. Ignatius got close, but lost 3 last year.

Massive job. Very interesting.

 

[FCD]

Yeah, I think it was more that Grammar had not been fielding a 3rd VIII in any prior race and blended their 2nd IV and 4 rowers from their Yr 10 1st VIII, from the regattas 2 and 3 weeks prior (both were off pace all season), to 'win' the 3rd VIII race at HOTR.

The former AAGPS Rowing Convenor has a long and colourful history of bending and breaking rules as he saw fit...or suited his friends.

 

[FCD]

Can't say I understand this. Hopefully they move up soon so we can see some fair racing. I've seen it before where schools start better rowers lower to get them back into swing of things, but if that combination rows on March 16th, it wont even be a competition. Completely unfair. Hopefully King's play fair here.

Refer to the AAGPS Rowing Rules of Racing...

 

[The Chairman]

Two rowers that most certainly impressed me on the weekend were Rogers (K) and Conna (I). The Strokes of the two winning Eights. Rogers is undoubtably the best rower in the AAGPS, and he showed it on the weekend. The race strategy was on point, the rhythm from the Stroke seat excellent which allowed the big bodies of Hines, Mason and McClean to get in behind him. Culminated in a spectacular 5:54 from the King's boat. Conna is an exceptionally talented rower, with lots of length and power to give a good heave. Again, the rhythm was on point and allowed for lots of run. I most certainly would not be surprised if he were to move up into the Ignatius' 1 boat. Well done from both rowers.

 

[FCD]

Only GPS crews should be at the HotR. For all other regattas all and any schools and clubs with junior rowers are welcome.

Junior rowing in Sydney was an all boys event until some 25 years ago, apart from a handful of girls who rowed from senior clubs, mostly in sculls. Sydney girls schools have done a magnificent job over this time without owning one boatshed; they've had to beg, borrow or make some strange arrangements to get access to boatsheds. Remember the ungentlemanly conduct of Joeys when they withdrew Loreto Nornamhurst's access to their Tarban Creek boatshed, LN now train at SIRC; that's commitment. And the unseemly shitfight when the great unwashed objected to Ascham putting money into Sydney High's boatshed at Abbotsford, even though High don't own it. As far as I can work out the only non-GPS boys schools who put crews together are St Augustine's, Redlands and Cranbrook. They should be encouraged at every turn.

Along with Sydney girls schools participation in rowing, boys and girls schools elsewhere in New South Wales and the ACT have taken up the sport. There were a coupla Canberra crews at last Saturday's state finals, and a crew from Kinross Wolaroi won their final. Even TAS now row.

My point here is it's in the interests of senior rowing to have as many juniors rowers as possible. This development of junior rowing in Australia has had a positive effect on the results of our senior rowers in all international competitions in the past few decades.

Some very good points are made here. However.

'And the unseemly shitfight when the great unwashed objected to Ascham putting money into Sydney High's boatshed at Abbotsford, even though High don't own it.' So much misinformation in one sentence.

Having seen some of the documentation and having heard some of the discussion at the time. The entitled arrogance emanating from the Ascham proposal was quite galling and inflammatory. Not everything can be bought.

Thank God for Con Barris, Mark Gainford, Dave Luscombe, John Croll, and Tony Hannon. And a special mention to Dr Karl Kruszelnicki.

PS The High shed belongs to High. Donated to the school through the Old Boys.

 

[FCD]

Kings 1st VIII only school boy crew to make men’s open final, when they got 8 oars in the water, qualifying 17 seconds faster than View in the heat! They may be looking for a new boat and stroke oar‘s for both eights though, expensive day out for Kings shed…...Will be interesting to see what happens next week, hopefully Joeys back and all on the same track, should be exciting!

I still remember the 1993 Gold Cup. The Kings VIII took out the Leaning Pile at full speed. Some of the lads ended up in the Riverview infirmary. Injuries included cuts and abrasions from flying oars and carbon fibre splinters. The boat needed to be sent back to Ted Hale in Queensland for repairs...two weeks later TKS finished over the top of Newington to win the Head of the River. Newington were on track to win five Head of the River races on the trot.

 

[FCD]

Yes. McGrath (I) was selected in 2018 given Ignatius' shock win over Keenan (E), who in my opinion is the greatest cox to ever preside over an AAGPS Eight.

One day the AAGPS Rowing Convenor will get the lads together for a crew photo and maybe even a morning tea with parents...in 1987 the crew trained together and then represented the NSW Rowing Association. I believe that there is a photo of the crew at the Kings Boatshed. Ken St Heaps was the coach. The crew was made up of rowers from TSC, Shore, Newington, TKS, and High.

 

[FCD]

Kind of hard to determine value without a recording though?
Shame that Henry Burton snuffed out Mackenzie Fox for AAGPS Eight. Both were serious contenders.

I think the coxswains do have to provide a race recording?