Ngaruawahia High School named North Island recipient of $10,000 Emerging School Rowing Scholarship
Ngaruawahia High School is set to take its growing rowing programme to the next level after being named the North Island recipient of the 2026/27 Emerging School Rowing Scholarship.
The $10,000 scholarship, provided by the Milford Foundation in partnership with Rowing New Zealand, will help the school overcome some of the practical barriers that come with building a rowing programme - from equipment and regatta costs to travel and coaching.
For Ngaruawahia, it comes at an exciting time.
The programme began with a small group of just five students. Five years on, and with the programme really gaining momentum over the past three years, the school is expecting around 30 rowers this season.
For Rowing New Zealand Sport Development Manager Jared Cummings, it was that clear vision for growth that made Ngaruawahia’s application stand out.
“It was a really strong application. There was a lot of detail that went into it. It wasn’t just that they wanted financial assistance - there was a lot around the growth of the programme, the support for the club, strong coaching and the background support to move the programme ahead over time.”
The school has a three-year vision to continue building its numbers, strengthen its coaching and equipment, and create more opportunities for its students.
Jared says the impact of the scholarship should be measured by more than results on the water.
“Winning races matters, but it’s not as important as growing the programme, developing our people and fostering a lifelong enjoyment of the sport.”
For the Ngaruawahia coaching team, the biggest reward has been seeing what rowing can do away from the water.
Coach Tamsin Coburn says the programme has helped students who were previously struggling at school to develop greater discipline, confidence and commitment.
“We’ve had a lot of mischievous kids at school, and once they joined us and came down and tried rowing, there’s been a major impact at school with better grades and overall attendance.”
One student in particular stands out. After previously skipping classes and getting into trouble, he joined the rowing programme and went on to take part in a three-week Outward Bound course, with the experience having a huge impact on him.
“Overall, he just became a much nicer kid,” says Tamsin.
It is a reflection of why Jared believes school rowing can have an impact well beyond sport.
“What makes school rowing about more than what happens on the water is it’s a life programme almost. The things people learn from rowing are the work ethic, the friendships, the connection to the community. The things that are off the water are actually the majority of it.”
That sense of belonging is particularly important in a small community like Ngaruawahia.
The team describes itself as a family, with students from different backgrounds finding connection through rowing.
One student, who moved to New Zealand from Germany, says he was immediately welcomed by the rowing team when she arrived at school.
For him, rowing has provided both a challenge and a sense of belonging.
“It taught me about myself that I’m way more resilient and way stronger than I thought I was. I can really stick through things and not give up just when it gets hard.”
Another student says rowing has taught her that success in a boat relies on everyone working together.
“Everybody needs to work together. Everybody needs to be synchronised, and you need to trust the other teammates.”
The Milford Foundation has doubled its support for the Emerging School Rowing Scholarship this year, providing $10,000 to a North Island school and $10,000 to a South Island school. The South Island recipient will be announced next month.
For Milford Foundation General Manager Lucy Doyle, the decision was about reaching more young people and removing financial barriers to participation.
“The impact that we hope that we can have with the scholarship is more confident and capable young people. We know that sport builds resilience, leadership, teamwork and commitment to long-term goals.”
The Foundation’s focus is not simply on funding equipment or boats, but on creating opportunities for young people to thrive.
“Talent is everywhere, but we know that opportunity isn’t. We don’t believe that cost should be a factor in stopping young people from being able to participate in a sport.”
Lucy says rowing is also about the wider community that gets behind young people - from teachers and coaches to volunteers and families.
For Ngaruawahia, the $10,000 scholarship will help tackle some of the biggest challenges facing the programme, including ageing equipment, regatta costs and travel.
It will also open up opportunities to take students to regattas and places they may not otherwise get to experience.
Students say the funding could mean better equipment, more opportunities to compete, and potentially more students joining the team.
“The Milford Scholarship means more people will join, hopefully, so that we get a bigger team, and then we have more opportunities throughout the season.”
The growth of the programme is already significant - from a single quad to a team of around 30 students.
For the school, that growth means more than numbers.
“It means everything. We started off as just a quad, and expecting 30 kids is a major impact to us. It means we’re growing, and it means our culture at our school is becoming a big part – rowing,” says Tamsin.
The next three years will be about continuing that momentum, with the ambition of more athletes, more coaches and more boats, while giving students the opportunity to develop both on and off the water.
And for the coaching team, the excitement is as much about seeing the students grow as it is about what they achieve on race day.
“I’m excited to see all these kids grow. I’m excited to see the changes to our shed, and not only just to see how happy they are, whether they win or they lose,” Tamsin says.
Rowing New Zealand is incredibly grateful to the Milford Foundation for its continued support of emerging school rowing and for doubling its investment this year.
For Ngaruawahia High School, the opportunity is simple: keep growing the programme, create more opportunities for young people, and make the most of what rowing can offer.
“We are super grateful to the Milford Foundation for this opportunity and we’re going to make the most of it,” Tamsin concludes.
The Milford Foundation is the philanthropic arm of Milford Asset Management. Its vision is for every young person in Aotearoa New Zealand to reach their potential, whatever their starting point.
The Foundation invests in opportunities, skills and support that help young people build secure, resilient and fulfilling lives. Its approach balances impact today with impact tomorrow. Fifty percent of donations are invested and grown to support future generations, while the remaining fifty percent is used to fund grants, partnerships and initiatives that support young people today.
Through funding, partnerships and the expertise of Milford people, the Foundation helps create better futures for young New Zealanders.
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Ngaruawahia High School named North Island recipient of $10,000 Emerging School Rowing Scholarship
Ngaruawahia High School is set to take its growing rowing programme to the next level after being named the North Island recipient of the 2026/27 Emerging School Rowing Scholarship.
The $10,000 scholarship, provided by the Milford Foundation in partnership with Rowing New Zealand, will help the school overcome some of the practical barriers that come with building a rowing programme - from equipment and regatta costs to travel and coaching.
For Ngaruawahia, it comes at an exciting time.
The programme began with a small group of just five students. Five years on, and with the programme really gaining momentum over the past three years, the school is expecting around 30 rowers this season.
For Rowing New Zealand Sport Development Manager Jared Cummings, it was that clear vision for growth that made Ngaruawahia’s application stand out.
“It was a really strong application. There was a lot of detail that went into it. It wasn’t just that they wanted financial assistance - there was a lot around the growth of the programme, the support for the club, strong coaching and the background support to move the programme ahead over time.”
The school has a three-year vision to continue building its numbers, strengthen its coaching and equipment, and create more opportunities for its students.
Jared says the impact of the scholarship should be measured by more than results on the water.
“Winning races matters, but it’s not as important as growing the programme, developing our people and fostering a lifelong enjoyment of the sport.”
For the Ngaruawahia coaching team, the biggest reward has been seeing what rowing can do away from the water.
Coach Tamsin Coburn says the programme has helped students who were previously struggling at school to develop greater discipline, confidence and commitment.
“We’ve had a lot of mischievous kids at school, and once they joined us and came down and tried rowing, there’s been a major impact at school with better grades and overall attendance.”
One student in particular stands out. After previously skipping classes and getting into trouble, he joined the rowing programme and went on to take part in a three-week Outward Bound course, with the experience having a huge impact on him.
“Overall, he just became a much nicer kid,” says Tamsin.
It is a reflection of why Jared believes school rowing can have an impact well beyond sport.
“What makes school rowing about more than what happens on the water is it’s a life programme almost. The things people learn from rowing are the work ethic, the friendships, the connection to the community. The things that are off the water are actually the majority of it.”
That sense of belonging is particularly important in a small community like Ngaruawahia.
The team describes itself as a family, with students from different backgrounds finding connection through rowing.
One student, who moved to New Zealand from Germany, says he was immediately welcomed by the rowing team when she arrived at school.
For him, rowing has provided both a challenge and a sense of belonging.
“It taught me about myself that I’m way more resilient and way stronger than I thought I was. I can really stick through things and not give up just when it gets hard.”
Another student says rowing has taught her that success in a boat relies on everyone working together.
“Everybody needs to work together. Everybody needs to be synchronised, and you need to trust the other teammates.”
The Milford Foundation has doubled its support for the Emerging School Rowing Scholarship this year, providing $10,000 to a North Island school and $10,000 to a South Island school. The South Island recipient will be announced next month.
For Milford Foundation General Manager Lucy Doyle, the decision was about reaching more young people and removing financial barriers to participation.
“The impact that we hope that we can have with the scholarship is more confident and capable young people. We know that sport builds resilience, leadership, teamwork and commitment to long-term goals.”
The Foundation’s focus is not simply on funding equipment or boats, but on creating opportunities for young people to thrive.
“Talent is everywhere, but we know that opportunity isn’t. We don’t believe that cost should be a factor in stopping young people from being able to participate in a sport.”
Lucy says rowing is also about the wider community that gets behind young people - from teachers and coaches to volunteers and families.
For Ngaruawahia, the $10,000 scholarship will help tackle some of the biggest challenges facing the programme, including ageing equipment, regatta costs and travel.
It will also open up opportunities to take students to regattas and places they may not otherwise get to experience.
Students say the funding could mean better equipment, more opportunities to compete, and potentially more students joining the team.
“The Milford Scholarship means more people will join, hopefully, so that we get a bigger team, and then we have more opportunities throughout the season.”
The growth of the programme is already significant - from a single quad to a team of around 30 students.
For the school, that growth means more than numbers.
“It means everything. We started off as just a quad, and expecting 30 kids is a major impact to us. It means we’re growing, and it means our culture at our school is becoming a big part – rowing,” says Tamsin.
The next three years will be about continuing that momentum, with the ambition of more athletes, more coaches and more boats, while giving students the opportunity to develop both on and off the water.
And for the coaching team, the excitement is as much about seeing the students grow as it is about what they achieve on race day.
“I’m excited to see all these kids grow. I’m excited to see the changes to our shed, and not only just to see how happy they are, whether they win or they lose,” Tamsin says.
Rowing New Zealand is incredibly grateful to the Milford Foundation for its continued support of emerging school rowing and for doubling its investment this year.
For Ngaruawahia High School, the opportunity is simple: keep growing the programme, create more opportunities for young people, and make the most of what rowing can offer.
“We are super grateful to the Milford Foundation for this opportunity and we’re going to make the most of it,” Tamsin concludes.
The Milford Foundation is the philanthropic arm of Milford Asset Management. Its vision is for every young person in Aotearoa New Zealand to reach their potential, whatever their starting point.
The Foundation invests in opportunities, skills and support that help young people build secure, resilient and fulfilling lives. Its approach balances impact today with impact tomorrow. Fifty percent of donations are invested and grown to support future generations, while the remaining fifty percent is used to fund grants, partnerships and initiatives that support young people today.
Through funding, partnerships and the expertise of Milford people, the Foundation helps create better futures for young New Zealanders.
