A fantastic day was had by our crew of nine masters’ rowers representing Whakatāne Rowing Club at the 2026 Legions Championship Regatta at Lake Karapiro on Saturday.

Perfect conditions greeted competitors, with crews eager to get on the water and test themselves against 21 other clubs from across the North Island, along with a small contingent who travelled up from the South Island.

The masters’ group achieved an outstanding result, earning 14 medals from 16 entries – five gold, five silver and four bronze – and finishing third overall in the Victor Ludorum Trophy standings behind North Shore Rowing Club and Cambridge Rowing Club.

Highlights of the regatta included the Mixed E Quad crew of Graham Watt, Graham Sims, Barb Armstrong and Deb Rowe, taking out gold in a dominant fashion.

The Mixed 8 also delivered one of the performances of the day, rowing with determination and grit under the guidance of coxswain Grace Iremonger.

The crew of Rowe, Jason Hughes, Lena Cassidy-Clark, Sims, Leighton Hale, Barb Armstrong, Mark Edgecombe (Tauranga Rowing Club) and Lisa Hale suffered an unfortunate steering mishap at the start of their race, forcing them to come to a complete stop and dropping to the back of the field.

However, Iremonger kept the crew composed, and they fought their way back in an incredible comeback to claim the silver medal ahead of powerhouse sweeping clubs like North Shore Rowing Club and Wellington.

Watt, in his single, led the race from the start, finishing a staggering 20 seconds ahead of his competitors.

Also of note was the Mixed New Masters Quad crew of Hughes, Leighton Hale, Clare Knapton and MaryAnn Naminimianji from Rotorua Rowing Club, who delivered another dominant performance of the regatta for the club.

The crew stormed down the course to finish with a commanding lead of 15 seconds over the rest of the field, comfortably taking gold in the event.

The Women’s Eight capped off the regatta in the final race of the day, taking on a strong field that included some of the country’s best sweeping clubs such as Auckland Rowing Club, Hawke’s Bay Rowing Club, North Shore Rowing Club and West End Rowing Club.

With the support of a few rowers from Petone Rowing Club, our ladies dug deep and powered their way down the course under the guidance of coxswain Iremonger.

In a gutsy and determined performance, they pushed through to claim the silver medal and finish the regatta on a high.

Masters rowing features one-kilometre racing in age-group categories ranging from 27 years through to 80+.

There are also novice categories for first-year rowers, New Masters events for those with five years or less of rowing experience, recreational 500m events for returning rowers, and para-rowing events.

Rowing is a fun, low-impact sport that people of all ages can enjoy. It’s a fantastic way to build fitness, support other sports, and challenge yourself.

Along the way, you’ll make great friendships locally and across New Zealand, while experiencing the teamwork, laughter, and camaraderie that come from being part of a crew.

Anyone interested in learning to row can contact Whakatāne Rowing Club by email [email protected] for more information.