Maadi Cup

The regatta is the largest school sports event in the Southern Hemisphere, with over 2,087 rowers from 113 secondary schools participating in 2023[1][2][3] The regatta is held annually in late March, alternating between the country's two main rowing venues: Lake Karapiro near Cambridge (odd years), and Lake Ruataniwha near Twizel (even years).

This was also the closest race for the Maadi Cup in the event's history, with St Bede's College winning by 0.06 seconds over Hamilton Boys' High School.

During World War II, members of the 2nd NZEF based at Maadi Camp in Egypt competed in regattas on the Nile against local Egyptian rowing clubs.

Youssef Baghat's cup was offered to the NZARA (now NZRA) as a trophy for an annual boys' eight-oared race between secondary schools and was brought to New Zealand at the end of the war.

Renamed the Maadi Cup it was first raced for in 1947 at Wanganui where it was won by Mount Albert Grammar School, who beat Sacred Heart College by a half-length.

[4] The Maadi Cup gained its native timber pyramid shaped base from Mt Albert Grammar's woodwork master and first rowing coach, Jack Jenkin, in 1951.

Members for the 2nd NZEF competed in rowing regattas and won races run by the Cairo River Club until they were shipped back to New Zealand at the end of the War.

It was instigated in 1964 by Mr Cecil Purvis who was visiting South Africa at the time and met with members of the Johannesburg youth rowing community.

The Shield is made from segments of all the woods from South Africa and was first rowed for in 1965 when it was won by Hamilton Boys' High School.

Because of this, Noel Lynch and Enoka Macdonald decided this trophy should be called the Dawn Cup and it was first won by Queen Charlotte College.

Rowers and coxswains in the Maadi Cup must be full-time students (at least 0.8 FTE) at a registered New Zealand school, and must be studying at secondary level (Year 9 or above).