Three high schools have been blocked from fielding ‘year 14’ rowers at this week’s Maadi Regatta as officials enforce strict new eligibility rules for the event.
The New Zealand secondary schools rowing championships, which gets under way at Lake Karāpiro on Monday, is operating under new regulations in 2025 after schools overwhelmingly voted in favour changes earlier this year.
Under the new rules, students returning for a sixth year of high school are ineligible to compete in the Maadi Regatta.
The ban was voted through after a group of principals from across the country banded together and called for a special general meeting to address what one described as a “black mark on the sport”.
However, the new rules did leave the door slightly ajar for year 14 rowers to compete.
Schools can apply for an exemption to include a sixth year student in their crews, which is assessed by an independent panel of principals from across the country.
The New Zealand Secondary Schools Rowing Association told RNZ the panel considered three applications for a year 14 dispensation for this year’s regatta. All three applications were declined.
The NZSSRA says the applications were weighed against a strict set of criteria that includes demonstrating a legitimate academic need for a student to be enrolled as a year 14.
“We are delighted with the number of entries in Maadi this year. 2025 Maadi welcomes 2258 athletes from 116 schools across New Zealand, noting this new rule affects 0.13% participants,” the organisation added.
Concerns about a small number of schools who allow students to return to row in the Maadi Cup after completing their final year of high school has dogged the sport for decades, and was one of several “ethically dubious” behaviours highlighted in a 2024 RNZ investigation Over-oared.
Critics claimed it pointed to a “win at all costs” mentality that pervades the prestigious event, which has become a marketing tool for elite schools.
The issue reached a boiling point in November last year during a tense special general meeting of the NZSSRA, during which a majority of principals backed a vote of no confidence in the organisation’s leadership.
The call for the vote, which was carried 36-4 with seven members abstaining, came amid growing frustration among high school principals for what they perceived as an indifference from the NZSSRA in stamping out “abuse of the system”.
The stand-off between the principals and the NZSSRA was resolved when the governing body agreed to put forward a remit to change the eligibility rules at a second SGM in January.
rnz.co.nz
