Three Rhodes rowers have been placed among the top 16 university rowers in the country. This following
the Rhodes Rowing Club’s recent participation in the annual University Students’ Sports Association Sprints
(USSA) held at the Vanderkloof Dam on 26 and 27 March.
Three Rhodes rowers have been placed among the top 16 university rowers in the country. This following
the Rhodes Rowing Club’s recent participation in the annual University Students’ Sports Association Sprints
(USSA) held at the Vanderkloof Dam on 26 and 27 March.
Rhodes University was one among eight competing universities from around the country at the 1 000m rowing regatta, which once again proved popular among new and senior rowers alike.
The race played a role in selecting the top eight rowers, known as the Blues, and a second team of eight, known as the Grudges, from the various universities.
In the end three rowers from the Men’s crew, Clayton Mullins (stroke of A8), Carl de Beer (President of Rhodes Rowing) and Stuart Schady (Men’s Captain of Rhodes Rowing) qualified for the Grudges crew.
The two novice crews, Men’s D4 and Women’s D4 and the women’s B pair also did the Rhodes Rowing Club proud by winning their races.
Despite these victories De Beer feels there is always room for improvement. “Having made the Blues crew the year before there is always the will to perform better and hopes were high on making Blues again.
However the nature of a competitive sport such as rowing is unpredictable and although the Grudge crew
was not the target, all three individuals were pleased to have all their hard work rewarded by qualifying to be selected,” he said.
Both crews enjoyed training camps over the holidays in preparation for their next challenge: the SA Champs in Johannesburg on 24 and 25 April, and depending on those results, they will then have a chance to compete in the Under 23 World race in Hungary later this year.
