New Zealand Coastal Rowers local training with Olympic oversight

New Zealand’s U19 Coastal Rowing team were in town recently to train in the bay for the World Coastal Rowing Champs.

Head coach Brook Robertson, a Nelson old-boy, has jumped head first into the sport since giving it a go for the first time in 2022.

With Coastal Rowing included in the 2028 Olympic Games, the team may be the next generation of our national heroes on the world stage.

Brook was part of the Rowing New Zealand elite squad for ten years, and rowed at the Olympic Games in 2016 and 2020, making his coastal rowing debut at the National Beach Sprint Champs hosted by Nelson Rowing Club in 2022.

“Coastal is so much fun, I loved it from the very first race. After that first beach sprints here in Nelson I was keen to do more,” he says.

“At the 2022 World Coastal Champs in Wales, New Zealand took the silver medal in the mixed quad. I will never forget that medal ceremony – this is supposedly a summer sport, but that day in Wales it was hailing.”

The team’s assistant coach, Phil Knight, is also a local and says it’s exciting to see the coastal rowing programme picking up steam.

“We’re excited to see this U19 coastal crew developing. Despite all the rain. . .we had a great camp.

“There were some big swells out in the Bay, and the crews were whooping and laughing as they learned to catch the swell and enjoy the free speed.”

The team will be back in Nelson in mid-July for another training camp and will hold a fundraising dinner to assist the U19 crews to fund their trip at Fairfield House 20 July.

New Zealand’s ‘Pride of Picton’ Joe Sullivan is in the Open team to compete at World Coastal champs and is the guest speaker for the event.

Joe has won an Olympic Gold medal in the 2012 London Olympics, rowing the double with Nathan Cohen. Since then he has been in two America’s Cup winning crews, raced in Sail GP, raced internationally in the bobsleigh, and raced at World Coastal Champs in 2023.

As part of the dinner, the eight U19 athletes will also be involved as severs.

For more information or to book a ticket or a table, contact Sally Knight, ph 021 435 722.