Gqeberha rowers lay down a marker at Buffalo Regatta

Madibaz alumnus Wade Murison is cheered on by his Madibaz Rowing Club teammates during the Buffalo Regatta in East London recently.

The journey from obscurity to being noticed is becoming a very real one for Mandela University’s rowers after eking out several impressive performances at the prestigious Buffalo Regatta in East London recently.

The Madibaz Rowing Club fielded a team of 17, including one alumnus, for what is considered one of the oldest sports events in South Africa.

It draws the crème de la crème of school, university and club teams from across the nation and therefore it always proves a tough assignment for the less-traditional rowing institutions.

The efforts of the Gqeberha students in the B and C divisions against their more experienced counterparts were rewarded with a haul of 11 medals, five of which were gold.

There were also five silvers and a bronze for the trophy cabinet.

Troy Renison’s fifth place in the single sculls (B) was arguably the standout performance of the day, according to coach Adam Stead. To qualify for the final, he had to survive no fewer than three heats.

The men’s coxed quad sculls, competing in the C section, also produced a memorable result by securing the top two positions on the day.

This, Stead believes, highlights the depth and growing cohesion within the squad.

Santé Venter confirmed her status as one of the club’s brightest talents by paddling her way to a superb victory in the single sculls (B) competition.

The only non-student in the team, Wade Murison, inspired young and old when he did the same in the C division and then also went on to secure silver in the masters category.

The double sculls rowers competing in the C section also held their own despite most of them sporting less than six months of water time.

“It reflects the club’s rapid development and effective structures,” the Madibaz mentor explained.

The regatta provides an ideal competitive platform while serving as an important early-season benchmark for the students.

Most importantly, Stead notes, it offers valuable race experience ahead of the all-important Ussa Sprints in April.

Another big event on the students’ radar is the University Boat Race on the Kowie River at Port Alfred in September.

Last year the Madibaz ranked second among the Eastern Cape teams behind the strong UFH outfit.

It was also the first time in more than a decade that the Madibaz were able to field a third crew. The combination, consisting entirely of novices, were coxed by Rika van Dyk.

The club has grown from just 12 active rowers in 2024 to around 60 members today.

Stead says the major stumbling block to becoming a revered rowing institution is the distance to their training venue on the Swartkops River.

However, under the stewardship of manager Melinda Goosen, the programme continues to adopt a solution-driven mindset focusing on maximising what is rather than obsessing over what is not.

Most club members are only introduced to the sport after arriving at varsity, which makes their increasing competitiveness noteworthy.

With momentum clearly on the up, Stead has earmarked this season as an important marker for the future.