SA Schools Rowing Championships - St Stithians Boys College excellent

SA Schools Rowing Championships. The 48th SA Schools Rowing Championships took place at Roodeplaat Dam, Pretoria, from 6–8 March. Against torrential rain and strong winds, Saints rowers closed out an outstanding season at the continent’s largest school rowing event, competing with tenacity, resilience, and distinction.

U14

The U14 squad delivered one of the weekend’s highlights, securing Bronze in the Octuple Sculls. Remarkably, Saints were the only school to qualify two Octuples for the A Final, a testament to the squad’s depth and promise for the future.

U15

Although the U15s were unfortunate not to medal, they produced some of the most competitive performances of their age group.

Bantu Gwampi shone individually, reaching the Sculls Final and finishing 6th out of more than 60 entries.
The Quadruple (6th) and Octuple (7th) both delivered strong performances in fiercely contested races.

U16

The U16 squad excelled across the board:

Hugo Price-Hughes was imperious in the Individual Sculls, claiming Gold in one of the standout performances of the championships.
Four Saints scullers – Hugo Price-Hughes, Ethan Waldeck-Cooks, Adrian Roberts, and Owen Little – all finished in the top 16 out of 61 entries.
The Coxless Four secured Bronze, while the Coxed Four (4th) and Quad (5th) added further depth to the squad’s success.
The crowning moment came in the U16 Eight, where Saints, entering as underdogs, produced an emphatic victory over St Benedict’s to claim Gold – a triumph that will live long in memory.

Opens

The Open squad’s standout performance came from the Coxed Four of Daniel Pearse, Jonathan Tunmer, Kai Kappler, Luke Duffin, and Jaetan Moodley, who claimed a superb Silver Medal. The 1st Eight delivered a courageous performance in one of the closest finishes in recent championship history. While a 7th place was not the hoped-for result, the crew can take pride in their effort against an exceptionally strong field.

Overall Achievement

St Stithians finished 4th overall on the points table, a fitting reflection of a squad that competed with depth, determination, and pride from the first stroke to the last.