Plunket twins ‘rowing’ in success

Chipo Sabeta
The Rowing Association of Zimbabwe (RAZ) is riding high following the recent success story of the Plunket twins, Patrick and Rory, who dominated in rowing at the South African Schools Championships held at Roodeplaat Dam outside of Pretoria South Africa.

Just like the Black family of Cara, Wayne and Byron who were famous for their tennis exploits, the Plunket twins could be writing their own piece of history in rowing.

Patrick scooped three gold medals while Rory has two in the Boys Under-19 group against South Africa, which is currently the strongest rowing nation in Africa and in recent years has won medals in rowing at the Olympics and at World Championship events.

RAZ president Andrew Lorimer said, RAZ was impressed by Patrick and Rory who performed so well in a country where there is such strong rowing competition. He believes the stage gave the athletes exposure to international competition as rowing experience meteoric rise.

“RAZ is extremely delighted with the success of the Plunket twins. The boys, who live in Chisipite, Harare, with their parents, but who go to boarding school at Hilton College in South Africa, swept all before them this year at rowing events in South Africa at which they have competed in their age. As an association, we are proud of their representation,” Lorimer said.

Lorimer said the twins continue to cement their place by banging gold medals where more than 1 400 school rowers from over 40 schools and 10 rowing clubs across South Africa and Zimbabwe competed.

“After winning gold at the prestigious Buffalo Regatta in East London, South Africa, in February 2019, the Plunket brothers recently cemented their growing reputation as some of the best junior male rowers in Africa by winning gold and dominating in the Boys Under-19 rowing events at the South African Schools Rowing Championships held in Pretoria last month.

“Against 78 competitors, Patrick won gold and Rory won bronze in the Boys Under-19 single scull event. Both Plunket boys then teamed up with two of their Hilton College team mates to win the Boys Under-19 quad scull event.

“Thereafter the Plunket brothers teamed up to win gold in the Boys under 19 double scull event, winning by a massive margin of 21 seconds over their nearest competitors,” he said.

The twins are the reigning Sports Team of the Year for 2018, won at the 2018 Annual National Sports Awards (ANSA), for winning gold at the South African Senior Rowing Championships in April 2018 and at the Holland Beker Dutch National Rowing Championships in June 2018.

Patrick and Rory started their high school careers at St Johns College in Harare, where they were strong tennis players, before they moved to Hilton College where they switched to rowing. In August 2018, Patrick and Rory competed for the first time at the Junior World Rowing Championships in the Czech Republic where they competed strongly against rowers a year or two older than themselves.

Sport in Zimbabwe has a long tradition and has produced many world recognised sports names and personalities who have produced world-class international competitors and winners. Some of them include Nick Price, Mark McNulty and Tony Johnstone in the golfing world; Andy Flower, Heath Streak and Henry Olonga in the cricketing arena; current Minister of Youth, Sport, Arts and Recreation, Kirsty Coventry in swimming; the Black brothers in tennis; Tendai “The Beast” Mtawarira in rugby; Bruce Grobbelaar in soccer with the European champions Liverpool, and Peter Ndlovu; the Golden Girls, our Olympic hockey gold medal winners.

The Plunket rowing brothers seem to be on course to establish their names on the Zimbabwean list of sports stars or else surpass. They have now shifted attention on competing for Zimbabwe at the Junior World Rowing Championships in Tokyo, Japan in August 2019.

Lorimer continued: “Patrick and Rory are currently training hard under their coach Ernie Steenkamp to defend their gold medal at the Holland Beker Dutch National Rowing Championships in June 2019 and then to represent Zimbabwe at the Junior World Rowing Championships in Tokyo, Japan in August 2019.”

In recent years RAZ, managed to send representatives to both the Rio Olympics and Rio Paralympics and several top events. Olympian Micheen Thornycroft was voted Sportswoman of the Year at the 2016 ANSA awards the same year Zimbabwe rowing coach, Rachel Davis, won Coach of the Year while junior rower, Ciara Soper, was a nominee for Junior Sportswoman of the Year.

The year 2018 was another good year for RAZ with rowing athletes winning the following awards, Team of the Year — Rory & Patrick Plunket, Junior Sportswoman — Lorryn Bass and Bronze Junior Sportsman — Kenneth Raynor. RAZ was also shortlisted in the Sports Development Award and Sports Administration Award category at ANSA.

Meanwhile, RAZ this week announced the Junior Selection Squad for 2019 that will be responsible for selection of junior athletes to represent Zimbabwe at the Junior World Rowing Championships in Tokyo, Japan, in August 2019 and to represent the Rowing Association of Zimbabwe at the Royal Canadian Henley Regatta also in August 2019.

They are hoping to send athletes to the All African Games to be held in August in Morocco this year.

The RAZ Junior Selection Squad is as follows:-

Lorryn Bass — Chisipite Senior

Holly Bicknell — Peterhouse Girls

Stacey Dunstan — Peterhouse Girls

Savannah Hendrickse — Arundel

Tarryn Hinde — Chisipite Senior

Erin Soper — Chisipite Senior

Taremakedzwa Chidawanyika — Millennium Academy

Michael Hadingham — St Georges College

David Maonga — St Georges College

Patrick Plunket — Hilton College, RSA