Athletes from the Dunstan Arm Rowing Club (DARC) put on a show of strength last week winning 20 medals in the New Zealand Rowing Championships at Lake Karāpiro.

DARC placed second in the Centennial Scull, awarded for sculling behind Waikato Rowing Club. 

In the Centennial Oar for overall champion club DARC was third, beaten by Waikato and Avon.

Head coach Simon Smith said it was a great week, with the 31 athletes performing right through the grades from intermediate to club and then on to the highest level.

For the first time DARC won three ‘red coats’ awarded to the gold medal winners of premier rowing titles. Premier is the highest ability level in NZ.

Pictured are (from left) Simon, and red coat winners Elsie Talbot, Jack Pearson and Bridgette Sutton. PHOTO: Supplied

Jack Pearson earned his in a combined club men's premier coxed eight, Bridgette Sutton and Elsie Talbot were both in a gold medal winning combined women’s premier coxed eight. 

Simon said he was very proud of the athletes, as DARC is a smaller and younger club than some of the other rowing powerhouses at the event.

“It’s about trying to give yourself the opportunity to get medals. We had 18 cracks at medals on our own and we got 17 of them. It was awesome.”

Pictured are DARC rowers, who placed first and second in the men's senior double sculls (from left) Mathew King, Henry Clatworthy, Simon, Marley King-Smith and Hamish Yeatman. PHOTO: Supplied  

The 20 medals were made up of 17 to crews from DARC, and three composite medals (where DARC rowers combined with other clubs).

DARC’s golds were for men’s senior double sculls by Henry Clatworthy and Marley King-Smith, along with Freddy Todhunter and Elsie Talbot in women's senior double sculls and men's senior coxless quad sculls crew of Henry Clatworthy, Jack Pearson, Marley King-Smith and Aaron Kenny.

Another highlight was two DARC premier crews in the coxless quad sculls getting medals. 

The men’s crew of Henry Clatworthy, Jack Pearson, Marley King-Smith and Aaron Kenny got bronze and the women’s crew of Freddy Todhunter, Elsie Talbot, Stina Steffen and Olivia Key nabbed a silver. 

Pictured are (from left) Freddy Todhunter with silver in the women’s under 22 single scull, Simon and Jack Pearson with bronze in the men's under 22 single scull.   

The New Zealand Rowing Championships is the club championship regatta, held alternatively between Lake Karāpiro and Lake Ruataniwha each February.

It was first held in 1888 where a four race was held in Whanganui and a single sculls race was held in Wellington. 

The 2024 NZ Rowing Champs on February 13-17 involved more than 1042 athletes from 41 clubs and culminated in finals on Friday and Saturday.

The South Island Secondary Schools (SISS) Championships are next for school age rowers (March 1-3), followed by the Maadi Regatta (March 18- 23), both are held at Lake Ruataniwha near Twizel this year. 

Read more: Dunstan Arm Rowing Club celebrates more success.

Read more: Dunstan Arm Rowing Club wins Central rowing champs.

Read more: Dunstan named as Rowing NZ summer development hub.