Exciting upsets and dominant performances at the RMB Buffalo Regatta have set the stage for a championship defined by speed, depth and the narrowest of margins at the national schools rowing finals.
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The RMB South African Schools Rowing Championships will take place at Roodeplaat Dam March 6 to 8, bringing together approximately 30 clubs and schools from across South Africa and more than 1 000 junior athletes. The event marks the final regatta of the schools season and represents the pinnacle of the domestic junior rowing calendar, as well as a crucial step in the national high-performance pathway.
Adding further international flavour, crews from Zimbabwe will once again join the competition, raising the standard of racing and adding another dimension to podium battles. Racing will take place across all junior boat classes - from u14 single sculls to the prestigious first eights - making SA Champs the ultimate proving ground for emerging talent.
Momentum heading into the national championships has been shaped by the RMB Buffalo Regatta, held February 5 to 7, where elite racing produced several decisive results in the 2026 season.
With over 1 000 junior athletes from across South Africa and international crews from Zimbabwe, the SA Schools Rowing Championships promises a showcase of emerging talent and fierce competition.
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In senior racing at the event, Old Edwardian Boat Club and the University of Pretoria (Tuks) split the major honours.
Chris Baxter successfully defended his Silver Sculls title in the senior men’s single sculls, once again defeating long-time rival Murray Bales-Smith in a closely fought final. Baxter also featured in the Old Eds crew alongside Sebastian Prince, Myles Laburn and Damien Bonhage-Koen that claimed victory in the prestigious Grand Challenge.
On the women’s side, Courtney Westley secured victory in the senior women’s single scull, defeating Paige Badenhorst, while the Tuks women’s four retained their title in dominant fashion.
With dozens of clubs competing and more than 1 000 athletes expected, Roodeplaat Dam will host the season-defining showdown for South Africa’s junior rowers.
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For much of the 2026 season, St Benedict’s College have looked the likely favourites in the Boys’ First Eight. But the regatta delivered a pivotal result.
In one of the most exciting races of the weekend, St John’s College defeated St Benedict’s for the first time this season, a breakthrough result that has dramatically shifted the narrative heading into SA Champs. Close behind were Rondebosch Boys’ High School and King Edward VII School, both showing the speed and depth to challenge for national honours.
The result means that heading into the RMB SA Schools Championships, the Boys’ First Eight title appears more open than it has been in years. With multiple crews capable of producing winning performances on the right day, it promises to be one of the standout events of the regatta.
Breakthrough wins and familiar champions set the stage for SA’s next generation of rowing talent.
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In the Girls’ Quad Sculls, St Andrew’s School for Girls continued their dominant season, defeating St Mary’s and St Stithians College in the weekend’s competition final.
Their consistency makes them firm favourites, but SA Champs presents a different pressure - a single national championship stage where crews must deliver on the day. With margins tightening across the season and a lot of mix up in the silver and bronze positions, challengers will be looking to capitalise.