The 1988 Maadi Cup Boys coxed eight was won by Christ's College but members of the second-placed Auckland Grammar crew are now challenging the result.
It took almost 40 years for a select group of former Auckland Grammar rowers to formally protest the result of a schoolboy race they finished second in – a race they now believe was “unfair”.
The Auckland Grammar School (AGS) coxed eight were overpowered by the Christ’s College crew in the final stretch of the 1988 Maadi Cup regatta on Lake Ruataniwha near Twizel.
It was the first Maadi Cup win for Christ’s College.
Thirty-eight years later, and without the backing of their former school, some members of that AGS crew have taken their protest to Rowing New Zealand. Twice.
The first complaint came on March 11, 2026, and was met with a Rowing NZ reply on March 20. The response informed the complainants their request to have the race investigated had been declined.
A second request – by way of a 10-page submission – was sent to Rowing NZ on May 18.
“We still believe the 1988 Maadi Cup Final race and other races at the same regatta were ‘unfair’ because Christ’s College were the only school permitted to row with highly advantageous ‘new technology’ of lightweight carbon fibre oars,” the second submission read.
“It appears to us that you have not given the issues raised proper consideration.”
The complainants argued the Health and Safety at Work Act should protect competitors from harm, including the “ongoing anxiety harm” they said could flow from unfair racing and an inadequate protest regime.
The complaint asks for the result to be overturned by way of either a disqualification or that Christ’s College be “relegated” by the distance that it was advantaged in the 2000m race.
“The video evidence we already provided proves that we lost the Maadi Cup final by just three-quarters of a length and were only overtaken in the last 180m of the race, when the fatigue from the considerable additional weight of our wooden oars would have logically had the most impact.”
The complainant suggests the advantage of the lighter oars would equate to three boat lengths for Christ’s College.
“We reached these conclusions applying the known facts, using maths and physics, artificial intelligence (AI) review, and common sense.”
They say that they were not in a position to dispute the result in 1988.
“As a crew, overwhelmed with disappointment at the race’s conclusion, as a photograph attached to this letter clearly shows, we were not actually aware of what happened until a number of years later, and we lacked access to all the science and relevant evidence that we can now find on the internet and via AI to make a credible complaint.”
Among Grammar’s crew in 1988 was Hamish Carter – one of New Zealand’s greatest and most decorated triathletes. Carter won gold at the 2004 Athens Olympics, ahead of compatriot Bevan Docherty. Carter is not part of the group protesting the 1988 result.
The complainants also proposed three rule changes, saying they felt a “clear moral obligation” to prevent similar harm and ensure “what actually occurred in the past should never have been allowed to happen”.
They want fair racing rules clarified so oars, skiffs and coxswains are weighed to ensure they meet minimum weights, protest avenues remain available to deter cheating, and new technology that gives rowers an unfair advantage is restricted in a similar way to cycling.
Rowing NZ was asked to consider this proposal at its AGM held over the weekend. The national body told the Herald it was not discussed.
The Herald has approached members of the Christ’s College 1988 crew but has yet to receive a response.
The complainants had also attempted to re-engage with the race winners but said they had only received one brief response thus far: “I had to check the date on the email just to make sure it wasn’t April 1”.
The complainants conclude by asking why Christ’s College was “knowingly allowed” to compete with underweight equipment, why rules had not changed, and why there should be a time limit on protesting alleged “bad faith” conduct after years of “anxiety and frustration”.
Rowing NZ said it is still considering the complainants’ second submission.
Mike Thorpe is a senior multimedia journalist for the Herald, based in Christchurch. He has been a broadcast journalist across television and radio for 20 years and joined the Herald in August 2024.