Next generation of rowers converge on Port Alfred for Universities’ Boat Race

South Africa’s next generation of rowing talent will descend on Port Alfred next week for the 2026 RMB Universities’ Boat Race, with the defending champions facing a strong challenge from a field featuring an influx of newcomers.

The regatta takes place on the Kowie River from September 10-13, with 10 universities competing for the prestigious Isis Blade and Cambridge Rudder trophies.

Pretoria-based Tuks will be looking to extend their dominance in the women’s competition, having held the Isis Blade since 2017, while UCT’s men will be chasing a fourth consecutive Cambridge Rudder after winning the trophy in each of the past three years.

The competition comes at an important time for South African rowing, after the national squad’s strong showing at the recent world championships in Amsterdam.

Among those returning to university competition after competing at the global championships are Tuks rowers Courtney Westley and Katherine Williams, who both reached the finals in Amsterdam.

They will race under Tuks Rowing head coach and RowSA Under-23 coach Thato Mokoena, as the university attempts to retain its long-standing grip on the women’s trophy.

But the event will also provide an opportunity for a new generation to announce themselves, with 60% of this year’s competitors taking part in the elite regatta for the first time.

The Universities’ Boat Race has long been regarded as an important stepping stone for South African rowers, with several of the country’s Olympians emerging through the school and university system.

Among them are Paige Badenhorst and Christopher Baxter, who have gone on to represent South Africa at the highest level.

South Africa’s rowers have done the country proud by consistently bringing home world championship and Olympic medals over the past two decades.

—  Michael Edwards

The connection between university rowing and the national programme is also evident in the coaches working with this year’s competitors.

UJ’s rowing team is coached by London 2012 Olympic gold medallist Sizwe Ndlovu, who made history as the first black African rower to win Olympic gold as part of South Africa’s lightweight coxless four.

His former Olympic gold-medal teammate John Smith, a four-time Olympian and former Tuks rower, is also contributing to the sport’s development through the Go for Gold Foundation, which supports and mentors underprivileged young rowers.

The continued development of that pathway is one of the reasons RMB has backed the Universities’ Boat Race for the past decade, alongside its support of the national rowing squad.

RMB sponsorship marketing lead Michael Edwards said the investment in rowing was aimed at supporting athletes throughout their development.

“South Africa’s rowers have done the country proud by consistently bringing home world championship and Olympic medals over the past two decades,” Edwards said. “The talent of those senior rowers was honed at school and university level, which shows that ongoing support throughout a gifted rower’s career pays dividends.”

This year’s field includes Cape Town, Fort Hare, Johannesburg, Nelson Mandela, Pretoria, Rhodes, Stellenbosch, Walter Sisulu, Wits and the University of the Western Cape.

With established champions seeking to protect their titles and dozens of newcomers eager to make their mark, the Kowie River could provide an early glimpse of the athletes who will form the backbone of South African rowing in years to come.

As Edwards puts it: “Will we be watching some of our future Olympians on the Kowie River this September?”

The answer may only become clear once the crews hit the water.

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