South Island Secondary Schools participate in a fairly short program of training (about 5 weeks) from the start of school in early February, with South Island Regional Champs on Sunday 30 March for 2025. 

But we also have Schools that want to step it up to the next level. In the past this has been Christchurch Girls High School, Avonside Girls and Shirley Boys High School.

But this season, Oxford Area School have commited to pushing to the highest level. 

Their Dragon Boat team has been fortunate to have great support from parents and teachers, plus a driven and dedicated coach - Aoraki Board member, Mike Robinson.

Teams will remember that two weeks earlier, "Oxford Mighty Dragons" competed at the Aoraki Open regatta at Lake Ruger against adult crews, where they came second in the 1,000m Turns Race, third in the 460m Grand Final and second in the 200m Sprint Final.

As Mike has reported from Wellington on Sunday night:

"So proud today - not only of myself and the ability to sweep in the treacherous Wellington Harbour. 
But the Oxford school dragon boat team.
The intention was to win at Nationals Schools Champs - well, they did it.

"Each race getting stronger and faster as their confidence grew with each race, in conditions that were less than ideal. Starting off with a 79.81 seconds in Heat 1, getting faster with each race (79.34 in Heat 2, and 79.22 in Heat 3) and the Grand Final time of 77.38.

"It's a satisfaction beyond belief, to take a team to this level, and win.

"It was not an easy win - it was fought for, with the other teams beating us off the start line. But the Oxford start is so strong, they gathered their speed and away we went.

"It has been a dream to get this school to Nationals - now we have done that."

Mike continues "As a coach we train our paddlers to be competitive, but when we train a school team, we have to instill the value of believing in themselves. It's not really something we can coach, but it is something we as coaches can give them with our confidence and our beliefs. If we believe in them, they will achieve great things, even if the end goal takes a while to get to.
"Self belief, hard work, commitment and team work I feel are the greatest values we can instill into our student paddlers."

Oxford Area School, went to Wellington believing they could achieve great things, but that belief didn't sink in until the Aoraki Open, when they saw just how fast they were, and how much they could achieve if they worked together.

"To paddle in conditions that would normally cancel anyother event in NZ, something they hadn't trained for, they weren't the only ones quietly panicking.

"To go from strength to strength in each heat, getting faster with each heat, to leaving almost all of it out on the water and coming in 2 seconds faster in their final. With worse conditions than they started in." 

Mike adds that the team has set their eyes on going abroad. Watch this space.