History of School Rowing
History of School Rowing and the birth of the Maadi Cup
School rowing in New Zealand began in 1885 when a group of Wanganui Collegiate boys first jumped in a four at the Wanganui Rowing Club; this school boy four would later race a Wanganui club crew the following year.
Inter-school rowing started at the Wellington Regatta in 1889 when Wanganui Collegiate, Wellington College and St Patrick's College entered a fours race over one mile. Wanganui Collegiate won by three-quarters of a length.
Meanwhile in the South Island, school rowing had also commenced with Christchurch Boys' High School rowing out of the Canterbury Rowing Club in 1897, followed by Christ's College in 1913, and Waitaki Boys' High School began at the Oamaru Rowing Club in 1907.
Auckland joined school rowing much later in 1936 when Mt Albert Grammar School and Sacred Heart College were based at the West End Rowing Club and Waitemata Rowing Club respectively. But progress was rapid and soon four-oared races were taking place between the schools.
The Maadi Cup was first raced for in 1947 and was first won by Mt Albert Grammar School at a regatta in Wanganui. The Maadi Cup itself was donated as a token of friendship by Dr Youssef Bahgat, of the Cairo Rowing Club, Egypt, to the winners of a points competition between the Maadi Camp Rowing Club (the base of the Kiwi oarsmen of the Second N.Z.E.F.) and the Cairo Rowing Club. The Kiwis won this competition in 1943, 11 points to six after winning the open eights and fours and the novice pairs.
Soon after the win, the Maadi Camp Rowing Club Captain gifted the cup to the New Zealand Amateur Rowing Association and stated that the cup is to be used to foster inter-schoolboy eight-oared rowing for annual competition as a challenge cup. The cup was hereafter renamed the Maadi Cup and the illustrious competition was born.
Maadi Cup Winners List
1947 Mount Albert Grammar School 1990 Christ’s College
1948 Sacred Heart College 1991 St Bede’s College
1949 Wanganui Technical School 1992 Auckland Grammar School
1950 Wanganui Technical School 1993 Christ’s College
1951 Mount Albert Grammar School 1994 Tauranga Boys’ College
1952 Wanganui Collegiate School 1995 Christ’s College
1953 King’s College 1996 Christ’s College
1954 Mount Albert Grammar School 1997 Tauranga Boys’ College
1955 Mount Albert Grammar School 1998 Christ’s College
1956 Mount Albert Grammar School 1999 Christ’s College
1957 Mount Albert Grammar School 2000 Wanganui Collegiate School
1958 Mount Albert Grammar School 2001 Wanganui Collegiate School
1959 King’s College 2002 St Paul’s Collegiate School
1960 King’s College 2003 St Paul’s Collegiate School
1961 Mount Albert Grammar School 2004 Wanganui Collegiate School
1962 New Plymouth Boys’ High School 2005 Hamilton Boys’ High School
1963 Wanganui Collegiate School 2006 Christ’s College
1964 Wanganui Collegiate School 2007 Hamilton Boys’ High School
1965 Wanganui Collegiate School 2008 Hamilton Boys’ High School
1966 Wanganui Collegiate School 2009 Hamilton Boys’ High School
1967 Wanganui Collegiate School 2010 Hamilton Boys’ High School
1968 Wanganui Collegiate School 2011 Auckland Grammar School
1969 Wanganui Collegiate School 2012 Christ’s College
1970 Hamilton Boys’ High School 2013 Hamilton Boys’ High School
1971 Wanganui Collegiate School 2015 Hamilton Boys’ High School
1972 Wanganui High School 2016 Christ’s College
1973 Wanganui Collegiate School 2017 St Andrew’s College
1974 Wanganui Collegiate School 2018 Christ’s College
1975 Fraser High School 2019 Christchurch Boys’ High School
1976 Westlake Boys’ High School 2020 Cancelled due to Covid-19 Pandemic
1977 Wanganui Collegiate School 2021 Christ’s College
1978 Tauranga Boys’ College 2022 Hamilton Boys’ High School
1979 Tauranga Boys’ College 2023 St Bede's College
1980 Tauranga Boys’ College
1981 Tauranga Boys’ College
1982 Tauranga Boys’ College
1983 Westlake Boys’ High School
1984 Westlake Boys’ High School
1985 Wanganui Collegiate School
1986 Wanganui Collegiate School
1987 Hamilton Boys’ High School
1988 Christ’s College
1989 Christ’s College
