From the Olympic waters of England to the surf of Italy’s Mediterranean coastline, South African rowers continue to demonstrate their ability to compete with distinction across multiple rowing formats and international stages.
Over the past few weeks, South Africa’s emerging school talent and experienced coastal rowers have represented the country with pride in two very different environments. The South African Schools Rowing Union (SASRU) Under-16 squad gained invaluable experience on tour in the United Kingdom, while Murray Bales-Smith and Violante Lama took on some of the world’s best coastal rowers at the Filippi Lido Trophy in Naples, Italy.
These performances provide an encouraging start to the international season and highlight the growing depth of South African rowing across multiple disciplines.
SASRU Under-16 Squad Gains Valuable International Experience
The South African Schools Rowing Union Under-16 touring squad, comprising 27 athletes from 11 leading South African schools, departed South Africa on 29 April for a development tour to the United Kingdom. The squad represented schools from Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal, reflecting the strength and diversity of school rowing in South Africa.
Represented schools included Holy Rosary School, St Mary’s School, Waverley, St Stithians Girls College, St Stithians Boys College, St Benedict’s College, St Alban’s College, St Andrew’s School for Girls, St Dunstan’s College, Hilton College, Jeppe High School for Boys and King Edward VII School.
The team overcame a 15-hour flight delay before arriving in England ready to make the most of an unforgettable opportunity.
Before their first session on the water, the athletes visited Windsor Castle and watched the Changing of the Guard, providing an iconic introduction to their tour.
The squad trained and raced at Dorney Lake, the venue of the rowing events at the London 2012 Olympic Games, where South Africa claimed its first Olympic rowing gold medal. For the athletes, rowing on these historic waters was both inspiring and deeply meaningful.
The South African athletes competed at both the prestigious Wallingford Regatta and the Junior Sculling Regatta, held at Dorney Lake.
The standout performance came from the Under-16 girls’ quad scull, which won its event at Wallingford Regatta in impressive fashion.
Other notable performances included:
Taylor Prinsloo of St Mary’s School, Waverley, finishing second in the Under-18 women’s single sculls at Wallingford Regatta.
The South African Under-15 boys’ double scull finishing second in its event at the Junior Sculling Regatta.
Rowing South Africa and SASRU extend sincere thanks to Eton College for the generous use of boats and facilities, and to the Dorney Lake staff for their support throughout the tour.
Beyond the racing, athletes described the tour as an eye-opening experience that offered valuable insight into the standards of training and competition outside South Africa. The quality of coaching and facilities exceeded expectations and provided lessons that will help shape their development in the seasons ahead.
The team also visited the iconic Leander Club, where Richard Egington hosted the squad for an insightful talk and tour of the boathouse and gym.
Coastal Rowers Test Themselves in Naples
South Africa’s leading coastal rowers, Murray Bales-Smith and Violante Lama, travelled to Naples, Italy, from 9 to 11 May to compete in the prestigious Filippi Lido Trophy, supported by coach Bill Godfrey.
The event attracted many of the world’s top beach sprint athletes and provided an important early-season opportunity to benchmark performance.
For Bales-Smith, this was his first international regatta since finishing eighth at the 2025 World Rowing Coastal Championships. He produced an encouraging performance in the time trial, placing eighth and showing clear improvement against a world-class field.
In the knockout round, changing sea conditions proved decisive. After selecting what appeared to be the faster lane, Bales-Smith was caught by a difficult section of waves on the return leg and was unable to maintain his momentum, ultimately finishing 12th overall.
Reflecting on the weekend, Bales-Smith said:
“One key takeaway from this weekend is that I’m closer to the top guys in the time trials than I was at World Champs last year.”
Violante Lama faced a tough international field and did not progress through to the knockout rounds, but responded strongly to win the Club division, highlighting both her resilience and competitive spirit.
A Promising Start to an Exciting International Season
These early-season performances are a positive sign as South African crews prepare for a busy and important international campaign.
Several of the country’s top athletes will be competing at the upcoming World Rowing Cup Lucerne and the prestigious Henley Royal Regatta.
Among the crews to watch are:
- Christopher Baxter in the men’s single sculls
- Kat Williams and Courtney Westley in the women’s pair
- Paige Badenhorst in the women’s single sculls
In addition, a selection regatta held on 9 and 10 May identified the junior and Under-23 crews that will represent South Africa later this year. A number of talented young athletes are set to compete at the World Rowing Under-19 and Under-23 Championships, further underlining the depth of talent emerging through the South African system.
Thank You to RMB
Rowing South Africa extends its sincere thanks to Rand Merchant Bank (RMB) for their continued support of South African rowing.
RMB’s partnership plays a vital role in creating opportunities for athletes to compete internationally, gain invaluable experience and continue pursuing excellence on the world stage.
Through this support, South African rowers are able to test themselves against the very best in the world and return home stronger, more experienced and inspired for the season ahead.
For more visit ww.rowsa.co.za or follow @rowingrsa on Instagram
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Author: Row SA from Angelfish Pr and Events on behalf of RowSA.
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