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Opportunity at OC
Something special has started in South Auckland.
The principal harboured the dream from the moment he walked on to campus.
The head coach saw the potential even before she made crew at UCLA.
The history teacher who rowed in the bow seat saw it too after arriving from Oxford University.
The club liaison connected all the strands together to help make it happen.
The biggest Pasifika sporting entity could see the potential.
The students worked away on the Tamaki waiting for their chance.
Soon they will race in new row suits for the very first time.
Otahuhu College's new head coach Lanea Tuiasosopo taking the boys through an erg tech session at Auckland Rowing Club. Photo: Fiona August
The Tamaki is glass on this spring afternoon.
Stroke Tu’uaki Wolfgramm is already a powerhouse on the erg. She can hold a phenomenal split and is unmatched by anyone at Otahuhu College (OC).
In three seat, Charlotte Maake’s forehead is glazed with sweat. There’s deadpan humour from Aaliyah Phillips and Savannah Ofahengaue, cox Markle Ossamang is enthusiasm plus. They are among the 16 students bringing rowing back to the OC.
Head coach Lanea Tuiasosopo asks for heart rates after a piece. Aki’s not feeling a pulse. Lanea jokes she must be dead then.
Laughter erupts.
Just the opposite. These kids are full of life and love for their new sport.
It’s been roughly 50 years since OC had a rowing crew compete at a schools regatta.
In just a couple of months, principal Neil Watson hopes to be watching Otahuhu’s return to racing, and, if they earn the right, his crews lining up at Aon Maadi Regatta on Lake Karapiro in March 2025.
AH: “How long have you been principal for Neil?”
NW: “Eleven years.”
AH: “How long have you been hoping for this moment?
NW: “Eleven years.”
Otahuhu's First Four from 1963/64 with the late Lionel Gray (back row, left), an Auckland rowing legend.
Fiona August got involved when her son started rowing at Sacred Heart College. That brought her into the orbit of the Auckland Rowing Club. She’s the connector.
For her, this is about community engagement in the sport she loves.
“The whole thing for me is equity in sport and everyone being able to try rowing, especially for South Auckland schools that might not ever have had that chance.
"We had that on our strategic plan. Lionel Gray was a life member here and a teacher at the school so that started the connection and then I found out Neil was the principal and a rower so I just kind of hounded for this to happen.”
Fiona started with experience sessions for the kids two years ago with the support of Sport New Zealand’s Tū Manawa Active Aotearoa, which is aimed at addressing barriers to sporting opportunity for young people.
Out on the Tamaki in borrowed boats and oars - the programme is up and running. Photo: Fiona August
Half a world away in California, a young woman with Samoan and Norwegian heritage was starting to think about barriers, and pathways, as well. Some of her family had gone east to America, some to New Zealand.
“I was rowing on Marina Del Rey on the same water - the Pacific, the Moana - that connects us to here, and connects us to Samoa, and that was really, really special,” says Lanea.
She only started rowing in her first year at college but immediately felt an affinity with the sport.
“I knew, having grown up in a pretty sporty family, that I wanted to be a collegiate athlete and compete at the highest level,” she says.
“Someone had said, ‘Give rowing a crack’. And I was like, ‘Okay. I get to be on the water. I get to see the sunrise every day. I get to be surrounded by amazing, strong women’.”
Lanea led UCLA to the Pac-12 conference finals in 2019 as rowing captain.
She started to wonder how she could open the door for other Pasifika students to share her experience.
That eventually led to a Fulbright scholarship and the opportunity to research Pasifika sport in New Zealand.
Two months ago, she was out on the Tamaki doing waka ama when she saw the rowers from OC pull up.
She got in touch with the school and Neil Watson had a new head coach.
Lanea had found her people.
Savanah Ofahengaue brings Pasifika style to the boathouse routine. Photo: Fiona August
Annie Nisbet rowed in the bow seat of the St Peter’s College crew at Oxford University. She teaches history at OC.
She drives the kids to school and back for their on-water sessions, has food for them after training, does all the admin, makes it all happen on the daily, during lesson time as well.
“They've just grown in their passion for it, their interest in the sport outside of what we're already doing,” says Annie. “Our cox Markle, he’ll often come in and tell me he's been watching Maadi Cup coxing videos, world championships and stuff, he's really wanting to improve his skill, he'll come to see me in lessons showing me different rowing things.”
Principal Neil Watson runs a connection exercise on the school's fleet of ergs. Photo: Fiona August
Neil is rightly proud of progress. I ask him for a list of things they need.
He doesn’t go off on a shopping spree like someone imagining they’ve won Lotto.
A new coach boat would be good. Maybe a cox box.
They have a couple of borrowed boats for the kids and use the oars of Auckland RC’s famous Michelin Men, which Neil has been a member of for longer than he’s been dreaming of getting Otahuhu rowing up and running.
They have nine ergs at school.
They have improvised a rowing tank using an old boat and the school pool.
Soon, the kids will get the blue and yellow kit with the school crest on it, the kotuku.
And then there’s the school’s close relationship and support from the Pasifika Medical Association.
PMA is also the majority shareholder of the Moana Pasifika rugby franchise, whose stated aim is to promote sport as a means to success in all walks of life.
“We're hoping that long term we can build a good relationship,” says Neil. “We also know that the organisation itself is based on results, so they'll be wanting to see bums on seats, and they'll be wanting to see those seats go pretty fast.”
“They don't even know how powerful they are yet,” says Lanea. “There's a humility but also determination. We just need to build that confidence. Show them they can fly.”
Everything is connecting up.
Otahuhu College would like to thank Apollo Projects and NZMA for their support.
Andy Hay
Andy Hay is a freelance producer, writer and rowing coach. He was cox of the world champion New Zealand eight of 1982 and '83. He is NZ Olympian #446.
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- Home
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- School Rowing
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- Opportunity at OC
Opportunity at OC
Something special has started in South Auckland.
The principal harboured the dream from the moment he walked on to campus.
The head coach saw the potential even before she made crew at UCLA.
The history teacher who rowed in the bow seat saw it too after arriving from Oxford University.
The club liaison connected all the strands together to help make it happen.
The biggest Pasifika sporting entity could see the potential.
The students worked away on the Tamaki waiting for their chance.
Soon they will race in new row suits for the very first time.
Otahuhu College's new head coach Lanea Tuiasosopo taking the boys through an erg tech session at Auckland Rowing Club. Photo: Fiona August
The Tamaki is glass on this spring afternoon.
Stroke Tu’uaki Wolfgramm is already a powerhouse on the erg. She can hold a phenomenal split and is unmatched by anyone at Otahuhu College (OC).
In three seat, Charlotte Maake’s forehead is glazed with sweat. There’s deadpan humour from Aaliyah Phillips and Savannah Ofahengaue, cox Markle Ossamang is enthusiasm plus. They are among the 16 students bringing rowing back to the OC.
Head coach Lanea Tuiasosopo asks for heart rates after a piece. Aki’s not feeling a pulse. Lanea jokes she must be dead then.
Laughter erupts.
Just the opposite. These kids are full of life and love for their new sport.
It’s been roughly 50 years since OC had a rowing crew compete at a schools regatta.
In just a couple of months, principal Neil Watson hopes to be watching Otahuhu’s return to racing, and, if they earn the right, his crews lining up at Aon Maadi Regatta on Lake Karapiro in March 2025.
AH: “How long have you been principal for Neil?”
NW: “Eleven years.”
AH: “How long have you been hoping for this moment?
NW: “Eleven years.”
Otahuhu's First Four from 1963/64 with the late Lionel Gray (back row, left), an Auckland rowing legend.
Fiona August got involved when her son started rowing at Sacred Heart College. That brought her into the orbit of the Auckland Rowing Club. She’s the connector.
For her, this is about community engagement in the sport she loves.
“The whole thing for me is equity in sport and everyone being able to try rowing, especially for South Auckland schools that might not ever have had that chance.
"We had that on our strategic plan. Lionel Gray was a life member here and a teacher at the school so that started the connection and then I found out Neil was the principal and a rower so I just kind of hounded for this to happen.”
Fiona started with experience sessions for the kids two years ago with the support of Sport New Zealand’s Tū Manawa Active Aotearoa, which is aimed at addressing barriers to sporting opportunity for young people.
Out on the Tamaki in borrowed boats and oars - the programme is up and running. Photo: Fiona August
Half a world away in California, a young woman with Samoan and Norwegian heritage was starting to think about barriers, and pathways, as well. Some of her family had gone east to America, some to New Zealand.
“I was rowing on Marina Del Rey on the same water - the Pacific, the Moana - that connects us to here, and connects us to Samoa, and that was really, really special,” says Lanea.
She only started rowing in her first year at college but immediately felt an affinity with the sport.
“I knew, having grown up in a pretty sporty family, that I wanted to be a collegiate athlete and compete at the highest level,” she says.
“Someone had said, ‘Give rowing a crack’. And I was like, ‘Okay. I get to be on the water. I get to see the sunrise every day. I get to be surrounded by amazing, strong women’.”
Lanea led UCLA to the Pac-12 conference finals in 2019 as rowing captain.
She started to wonder how she could open the door for other Pasifika students to share her experience.
That eventually led to a Fulbright scholarship and the opportunity to research Pasifika sport in New Zealand.
Two months ago, she was out on the Tamaki doing waka ama when she saw the rowers from OC pull up.
She got in touch with the school and Neil Watson had a new head coach.
Lanea had found her people.
Savanah Ofahengaue brings Pasifika style to the boathouse routine. Photo: Fiona August
Annie Nisbet rowed in the bow seat of the St Peter’s College crew at Oxford University. She teaches history at OC.
She drives the kids to school and back for their on-water sessions, has food for them after training, does all the admin, makes it all happen on the daily, during lesson time as well.
“They've just grown in their passion for it, their interest in the sport outside of what we're already doing,” says Annie. “Our cox Markle, he’ll often come in and tell me he's been watching Maadi Cup coxing videos, world championships and stuff, he's really wanting to improve his skill, he'll come to see me in lessons showing me different rowing things.”
Principal Neil Watson runs a connection exercise on the school's fleet of ergs. Photo: Fiona August
Neil is rightly proud of progress. I ask him for a list of things they need.
He doesn’t go off on a shopping spree like someone imagining they’ve won Lotto.
A new coach boat would be good. Maybe a cox box.
They have a couple of borrowed boats for the kids and use the oars of Auckland RC’s famous Michelin Men, which Neil has been a member of for longer than he’s been dreaming of getting Otahuhu rowing up and running.
They have nine ergs at school.
They have improvised a rowing tank using an old boat and the school pool.
Soon, the kids will get the blue and yellow kit with the school crest on it, the kotuku.
And then there’s the school’s close relationship and support from the Pasifika Medical Association.
PMA is also the majority shareholder of the Moana Pasifika rugby franchise, whose stated aim is to promote sport as a means to success in all walks of life.
“We're hoping that long term we can build a good relationship,” says Neil. “We also know that the organisation itself is based on results, so they'll be wanting to see bums on seats, and they'll be wanting to see those seats go pretty fast.”
“They don't even know how powerful they are yet,” says Lanea. “There's a humility but also determination. We just need to build that confidence. Show them they can fly.”
Everything is connecting up.
Otahuhu College would like to thank Apollo Projects and NZMA for their support.
Andy Hay
Andy Hay is a freelance producer, writer and rowing coach. He was cox of the world champion New Zealand eight of 1982 and '83. He is NZ Olympian #446.
