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At Last! Finally NSW Wins the Kings Cup

New South Wales won The Kings Cup, the last race of the Championships and the most prestigious rowing trophy awarded in Australia for the first time in twenty years. The NSW eight lead throughout the race to beat the Victoria, with Queensland a close third. Victoria were considered a very good chance and with James Tomkins and Mike McKay double Olympic Gold medallist rowing in their last ever race in Australia there was a lot of passion in the Victorian boat.

Tomkins and McKay have only been beaten once in the Kings Cup since 1985 when Western Australia won in 1999 They were hoping to go out as winners in the farewell race. New South Wales as tried in vain for many years to win Kings Cup but today the determination and passion to win was evident from the start.

The plan of the New South Wales eight according to coxswain Marty Rabjohns, "Was to hold our race for the first half and then start our race from there. We knew the Victorians were going to be tough they took a seat early, we just stuck to our guns the call was composed. In the second 500 metres (of 2000) we really started to move away. At the 750 they tried to make a move we count acted that, you never discount the Victorians particularly in their own back yard."

The New South Wales crew contained six members of the Australian Team that has been selected for the European tour leading into the Athens Olympics. Also in the New South Wales team was the three Stewart brothers who have been named for the tour. An emotional James Stewart who has won attended two Olympic Games said "I have been trying for so long to win this race and I have finally done it." New South Wales they also won the Queen's Cup for the women's eight and Shore School won the Schoolboy Eight and PLC Pymble the Schoolgirl Eight.

Tasmania won the Penrith Cup for lightweight fours making it 6 wins to Simon Burgess. Well done for the apple farmer from Geeveston. Queenslander Duncan Free won the President's Cup for single sculls for the 7th time, equaling Merv Woods record. What a credit to our sport. Western Australian Amber Bradley won the Women's single from Donna Martin of the ACT. Amber capped off a great weekend when on Saturday afternoon she was named the Rowers' Rower of the Year. Queensland won the men's and women's youth eight. With a photo finish to Victoria for 2nd place in the Kings Cup Queensland and winning the Zurich Cup for the overall pointscore of the Interstate races they are very much a force to be reckoned with. South Australia won the women's lightweight quad scull. The quad looked very impressive with the world champions on board. With the Championships over packing of boats occurred and it was "see you in Sydney next year."

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