Rowing South Africa: a triumphant showcase of young talent in England and Italy
The rowers from Row SA that participated in competitions overseas.
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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.
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.
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.
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.
Taking in the sights in London, the rowers from Row SA.
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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.
"One key takeaway from this weekend is that I’m closer to the top guys in the time trials than I was at World Champs last year," he said. Meanwhile, teammate Violante Lama bounced back from a tough preliminary round with trademark South African resilience, roaring through the field to win the Club division title.
These stellar performances signal the start of a massive summer campaign for Rowing South Africa, with the country's elite senior crews now finalising preparations for the World Rowing Cup in Lucerne and the ultimate test of traditional rowing: the Henley Royal Regatta.
Among the heavyweights to watch are Christopher Baxter in the men’s single sculls, the powerhouse duo of Kat Williams and Courtney Westley in the women’s pair, and Paige Badenhorst in the women’s single sculls. Concurrently, national selectors have officially locked in the Under-19 and Under-23 squads following fierce selection trials, ensuring that South Africa's conveyor belt of world-class rowing talent shows no signs of slowing down.