The 139th Rowing New Zealand Annual General Meeting brought together clubs, volunteers, administrators and leaders in Wellington to mark another year of the sport in Aotearoa.
The standout moment of the evening was the presentation of Life Membership to Mike Stanley CNZM, honouring more than four decades of contribution to rowing.
Stanley's competitive career was formidable. He rowed at Westlake Boys High School and North Shore Rowing Club before becoming part of New Zealand's legendary men's eight, winning back-to-back World Championship gold medals in 1982 and 1983 and representing the country at the 1984 Olympic Games.
After competing, his influence only deepened. As Chief Executive of Rowing New Zealand from 1994 to 2003, he drove significant governance and high-performance reforms that continue to shape the sport. Among his achievements were the establishment of the national training centre at Karāpiro, strengthening coach education pathways, expanding international age-group representation, and building high-performance support systems.
His service has extended well beyond rowing's competitive structures. Stanley has contributed to North Shore Rowing Club, High Performance Sport New Zealand, and the New Zealand Olympic Committee, where he served as NZOC President for 13 years and continues today as Honorary President. Earlier this year he was awarded the Olympic Order by the NZOC.
Volunteer Recognition Awards were also presented to individuals selected by their regional associations for exceptional service. Recipients were Paula Halliday (Auckland Rowing Association), Helen Rothery (Bay of Plenty), Hugh Ritchie (East Coast), Phillip Lee (Waikato), Jono Debbage (Wellington), Allan Luff (Whanganui), Catherine Kappelle (Canterbury), Tony Crosbie (Marlborough), Belinda Colling (Otago), Russell Jenkins (Southland), and Josh Wedlake (Karāpiro Rowing Incorporated).
The awards recognise contributions across coaching, regatta delivery, governance, club development, athlete support and community leadership, the unpaid hours that keep clubs running and regattas on the water.
The Wellington Rowing Association, Wellington Rowing Club and Star Boating Club were acknowledged for hosting the AGM weekend, with particular thanks to Gwen Surgeon, Teresa Terry and the wider Rowing New Zealand team for coordinating the event.
