MyZA

News, Directory, Events and Other Stuff

You are here: Home / News / Sport / South African Rowers Off To World Champs

South African Rowers Off To World Champs

South Africa will be sending a team of top rowers to the upcoming Rowing World Championships, which are scheduled to take place from 3 to 10 September 2023 on the Sava Lake in Belgrade, Serbia.

These championships are extremely significant as they serve as the crucial qualification races for the Paris 2024 Olympics and Paralympics. They also take place in a sportingly significant year, with the FIFA Women’s World Cup, Netball World Cup, ICC Cricket World Cup, Rugby World Cup, Summer World University Games, Invictus Games, World Masters Regatta and the Rowing Olympic Qualifiers among the major sporting events taking place this year.

“Our athletes have been training relentlessly, pushing their limits, and demonstrating incredible dedication to reach this exciting moment,” says RMB National Squad head coach Tiago Loureiro.

The selected athletes are:

  • Heavyweight women’s double scull: Katherine Williams (University of Pretoria) and Paige Badenhorst (University of Pretoria)
  • Lightweight men’s single scull: Murray Bales-Smith (University of Pretoria)
  • Heavyweight men’s double scull: Adriaan Venter (University of Pretoria) and Jake Green (University of Pretoria)
  • Men’s coxless pair: Chris Baxter (University of Pretoria) and John Smith (University of Pretoria)
  • Men’s coxless four: Sandro Torrente (University of Pretoria), James Mitchell (University of Pretoria), Luc Daffarn (University of Pretoria) and Henry Torr (University of Pretoria)
  • Para Rowing – PR1 men’s scull: Lifa Hlongwa (University of Johannesburg)

The rest of the team comprises:

  • Coaches: Tiago Loureiro, Andrew Grant, Athenkosi Hlekani and Thato Mokoena
  • Performance Director/Manager: Grant Dodds
  • Team Doctor: Dr Marcel Jooste (SEMLI, University of Pretoria)
  • Physiotherapist: Gareth Bruni (Bruni Physiotherapists)
  • Mental Performance Coach: Lesley Pedlar
  • Para Coaches: Jason Knowles (St Benedict’s College) and Dan Louw (St Mary’s School, Waverley)

Rand Merchant Bank has been the main sponsor of the RMB National Squad since 2016. Says the bank’s Chief Marketing Officer, Alison Badenhorst: “A heartfelt congratulations go out to those who have been selected to participate at the world championships next month. As a sponsor it is encouraging to see the depth of talent representing South Africa on the global stage, and to witness the courage and resilience it takes to perform at this level. We wish the squad everything of the best as they compete and push to qualify for the Paris Olympics in 2024.”

Stay tuned for updates as we follow the RMB National Squad’s journey through the world of competitive rowing. Let’s unite as South Africans and stand behind our athletes as they chase their dreams with indomitable spirit.

Category: Tag:

If you feel strongly about this article then feel free to send MyZA a ‘Letter to the Editor’ using the submission form below:

Letter to the Editor

This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.
If this is in response to an article please include that article title here or as the lead in for the first paragraph of your Letter below.

Separate tags with commas

Localise your letter by naming the city your words are about. Add relevant words describing your subject. Single comma separated words of no more than 5
Your Name(Required)
Your Name will be linked to the website below.
Your personal, business or social media web site
Choose NO to not set up a user account on MyZA. User Accounts will allow you to submit letters under your own Author Name

3 Latest Letters to the Editor:

  • Older Persons Grants Land Today — No Need to Queue at Dawn

    Dear Editor, Older Persons grants are paid today, 30 October, under SASSA’s revised November payment schedule — with disability grants on Monday 2 November, children’s grants on Tuesday 3 November, and grants under review on Thursday 5 November. Two things every beneficiary should know. First, grant money does not expire on payment day. It stays…

  • November Grants Pay Early – No Need to Queue at Dawn

    Dear Editor, I run SAGrant (sagrant.co.za), a free resource helping South Africans navigate SASSA grants. November grants pay earlier than usual. Older Persons grants are paid on Friday 30 October, Disability grants on 2 November, and Child Support and other grants on 3 November. Grants still under review are paid on 5 November. The money…

  • NSFAS 2027 applications close on 31 October — SASSA households, apply now

    Dear Editor, I run SAGrant (sagrant.co.za), a free resource helping South Africans navigate SASSA grants. NSFAS applications for the 2027 academic year close on Friday 31 October 2026, and no extension is expected. If your household receives a SASSA grant, your child already passes the NSFAS financial eligibility test — but they still have to…

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Sport Trivia: She was the first South African to win gold at the Olympics after 44 years. She won the gold medal in the 100m and 200m breaststroke in Atlanta in 1996. Answer: Penny Heyns. Penny Heynes held 14 records for breaststroke. During the 1999 Pan Pacific games, she broke 6 world records, (many of them her own previous records), and by the end of 1999 she held the record for the 50m, 100m and 200m long course breaststroke, simultaneously.