Rowing is a real team sport with high expectations in terms of physical fitness and commitment to the crew. At Vancouver College, our mission is to provide the opportunity for students to learn to row, experience a high level of competition, and take pride in becoming part of a team.
The program consists of approximately 45 athletes from grades 8-12 rowing at the Novice, Junior Varsity and Varsity levels. The season starts in November with land training at the school and then moves to False Creek in the spring. The athletes attend regattas on both the Mainland and Vancouver Island. Each year, selected crews attend the National Championships held in St. Catharines, Ontario where a number of past VC crews have proven very successful.
Besides competing at the high school level a number of our graduates have gone on to row at top universities and represent Canada internationally.
Our Irish Rowers wrapped up their season at the CSSRA national high school rowing championships in early June with some historic results for the program:
Juniors won gold in the heavyweight coxed four after a 7 year drought for the program in that event
Seniors are bringing home a national title in the lightweight eight, the third title in four years for the program in this event
Our rowers accomplished a silver in the Junior lightweight coxed four as well as the Junior heavyweight eight, where they missed gold by 0.4 seconds
Graduating seniors Jason MacDonald and Justin Cheong captured bronze in the Senior lightweight coxed four
This year VC placed 2nd overall in points with half the amount of entries and athletes brought by other teams, making it one of the best finishes for the program since 2012. Well done rowers!
May 2019
Over the weekend of May 25-26 , our Irish Rowers competed at the Delta Deas Scholastic Regatta. Rains on Saturday couldn't put a damper on the first racing experience for our Grade 8, Junior C team. The rowers competed an age category up and finished third overall. On a much warmer Sunday, the Junior C's raced against their age category rivals, Saint Georges. Two boats made it to finals, with the VC Irish pushing the Saints crew back for a solid second place finish, also finishing as the top school in the event. The Junior team also finished their season off at Delta, finishing 2nd in the coxed four.
Over the weekend of May 11-12, our Irish Rowers competed at the Shawnigan Lake Regatta, their last tune up regatta as the team heads into their final nationals push in Ontario later this month. Rowers accomplished the following:
GOLD - Sr. 4+
GOLD - Sr. Lightweight 4+
GOLD - Jr. 8+
GOLD - Jr. 4+
GOLD - Jr. Lightweight 4+
BRONZE - Sr. Lightweight 2x
BRONZE - Sr. 8+
Major congrats to Jason MacDonald ('19), graduating rower, who has won 5 gold medals so far in his final Spring season as an Irish Rower!
April 2019
Irish Rowers competed at the 49th annual Brentwood Regatta over a weekend in Vancouver Island. Weather delays marred the schedule Saturday, but this didn't stop the rowers from performing. Rowers placed the following:
