Mandela University’s rowers have defied massive odds to take their place alongside the country’s leading varsity crews in Port Alfred this week.
While silverware will be priority number one when the Madibaz line up at the RMB Ussa Boat Race from Thursday, it is an achievement in itself just to be among the entrants.
The heavy flooding that hit Gqeberha earlier this year damaged essential equipment and two eights boats as the waters in the storage facility rose to a depth of half a storey.
While the devastation impacted the various crews’ training programme, it did not take long for South Africa’s famously tight-knit rowing community to throw a life buoy.
Ken Gliddon, president of Western Cape Rowing, arranged for a loan boat and a set of blades from the University of Stellenbosch for the rest of the season.
Closer to home, Grey High made their boat available to the men’s A crew for training while St Andrew’s College in nearby Makhanda played their part by loaning a boat and equipment for this week’s Ussas.
In addition, Mandela University old boy Stuart Cowen helped establish an alumni support drive to secure a new cox box, speakers and wiring.
Rowing club manager Adam Stead said the simple fact was that competing this year would have been out of the question were it not for the “incredible rowing community”.
He paid special tribute to Madibaz coach Alasdair Macphail for “staying strong” and making sure that his charges could train as effectively as possible despite the challenges.
As grateful as they are to their benefactors, the team will not hand out any favours in Port Alfred.
Their impressive showing at the Ussa-R Sprints on the West Coast earlier this season suggests that the Madibaz are more than capable of going bow-to-bow with the best.
On that occasion, on the Misverstand Dam in April, the men’s A eight finished fifth – their best A-final result since 2007 – while the women did the same in the coxed fours.
The club’s teams were hungry to climb the ranks, Stead said.
They have entered two men’s eight crews, a women’s eight and two reserves for this week’s assignment, which concludes on Saturday.
Each crew compete twice on the Kowie River, with the first race taking the form of a time-trial. Boats are then matched against similarly ranked opposition in a heads race.
Stead added that the rowers always looked forward to the Ussa regattas because of their unique blend of competition and camaraderie.
“You know that you are besties because of the club ethos and vibe,” he said. - Full Stop Communications
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