Davina Waddy

Davina Waddy started rowing at Christchurch Girls High School and Canterbury Rowing Club in 2014 in her last year of high school, aged 18. In just her second season of rowing, Davina made Southern RPC, then attended the University of Otago in 2015, where she won the Women’s Championship Eight. She made her first New Zealand team after just over one year in the sport, gaining selection in the U21 trans-Tasman team in 2015, and won five of her six finals across the two-regatta series held in New Zealand and Australia.

Following these impressive results she was selected in the U23 Women's Eight for 2016. The crew finished 4th in a nail-biting race just 0.03s behind the Russian Bronze medalists.

Davina won her first Red Coat (Premier National Title) at the 2017 NZ National Championships at Lake Ruataniwha, in the Women’s Premier Eight with Southern RPC. Davina also earned a spot in the 2017/18 NZ Elite Summer Squad. In 2018, she returned in the U23 Women's Coxless Four and helped her crew to 5th place at the World Rowing U23 Championships in Poznan, Poland.

Davina was selected in the 2019 Women's Elite Sweep Squad, racing in the Four at World Rowing Cup II, III and at the World Rowing Championships which finished in 11th place.

In 2021 Davina scored another Red Coat at the 2021 NZ National Championships at Lake Ruataniwha, in the Women’s Premier Draft Eight. Davina then travelled to the Tokyo Olympics as a reserve for the NZ Team, where she helped the Women’s squad come away with some outstanding performances overseas.

In 2022 for World Cup II Davina was joined by crew, Beth Ross, Phoebe Spoors and Catherine Layburn in the Women's Coxless Four and put forward a great performance against an incredibly tight field in the A Final. There was five seconds separating the top five crews, with the Kiwis finishing in 5th place, just 0.06 seconds behind the USA in 4th. Then at the Henley Royal Regatta, the same crew came away with winning The Town Challenge Cup for the first time for NZ. Later in Lucerne, Switzerland at World Cup III, the Women's Four crew came away with Bronze after they just lost out in a battle against Romania for second place. The crew managed to place 8th at the World Rowing Championships in Racice, Czech Republic.

Davina has been selected in the 2023 Elite Women’s Sweep Squad, coached by Matt Cameron. Davina has joined forces with fellow crewmates Ella Cossill, Jackie Gowler and Phoebe Spoors in the Women's Coxless Four - claiming 6th in the A-Final at the 2023 World Rowing Cup III in Lucerne, Switzerland.

Before she took up rowing Davina was heavily involved in Equestrian and won the National Junior Eventing Championship title in 2014. She has completed a Bachelor of Commerce and is now studying towards a Master of Financial Economics. She also owns a little sausage dog called Nelly.