South Africa’s finest rowing talent made a resounding statement on the global stage, delivering standout performances across both the historic Olympic waters of England and the challenging surf of Italy’s Mediterranean coastline.
Setting a triumphant tone for the upcoming international season, the nation’s rising school stars and elite coastal rowers proved that South Africa remains a formidable force across multiple rowing disciplines.
Young Talent on Display
The South African Schools Rowing Union (SASRU) Under-16 development squad, featuring 27 elite athletes drawn from 11 of the country’s leading schools across Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal, overcame a gruelling 15-hour flight delay to dominate their British counterparts.
Training and competing at Dorney Lake—the iconic venue of the London 2012 Olympic Games where South Africa famously captured its first rowing gold—the young squad channelled that historic inspiration into immediate success at the prestigious Wallingford Regatta and the Junior Sculling Regatta.
Notable Performances
The undisputed highlight of the tour came from the Under-16 girls’ quad scull, which blew the international field away to win its event in magnificent fashion.
Adding to the medal haul, Taylor Prinsloo of St Mary’s School, Waverley, claimed a brilliant second place in the Under-18 women’s single sculls, whilst the Under-15 boys’ double scull secured a superb second-place finish in their event.
According to the Rowing South Africa organisation, the tour, which included cultural visits to Windsor Castle and an exclusive masterclass at the legendary Leander Club hosted by Olympian Richard Egington, offered the teenagers critical insights into international training standards.
Team management extended high praise to Eton College and Dorney Lake staff for providing world-class boats and facilities.
Simultaneously, South Africa’s premier beach sprint athletes, Murray Bales-Smith and Violante Lama, tested their mettle against the world’s absolute best at the prestigious Filippi Lido Trophy in Naples, Italy.
Bales-Smith, fresh from an eighth-place finish at the 2025 World Rowing Coastal Championships, demonstrated immense progress by matching the world’s elite pace to qualify eighth in the time trials.
Though unpredictable Mediterranean waves caught his boat in the knockout rounds—relegating him to 12th overall—Bales-Smith remained highly optimistic.
For more information on the World Rowing Coastal Championships, visit the World Rowing website.
- Taylor Prinsloo: second place in the Under-18 women’s single sculls
- Under-15 boys’ double scull: second-place finish in their event
- Murray Bales-Smith: eighth-place finish in the time trials
