- Home
- /
- School Rowing
- /
- The voices shaping...
The voices shaping New Zealand rowing
Our on course and livestream commentators play a vital role in shaping the drama and emotion of race day. Four of the voices behind New Zealand rowing reflect on their experiences behind the microphone.
Kirsty Dunhill
For long-time on-course rowing commentator Kirsty Dunhill, stepping behind the microphone has provided immense joy for more than 15 years and offered a welcome sanctuary from the demands of coaching.
A former coxswain, Kirsty has been involved in rowing for almost four decades, although her commentary career began almost by accident.
Following the 2009 New Zealand Rowing Championships in Twizel, she was chatting with fellow on-course commentator John Howard when she casually remarked that commentary looked “fun and easy” - and admitted she quite liked the thought of a free lunch. When the pair crossed paths again the following season at Lake Karapiro, John reminded her of the conversation, and Kirsty soon found herself beginning her commentary journey at the 2009 Xmas Regatta.
“I thought it sounded like a dream to be locked away in the control tower where nobody could get at you,” she explains with a smile. “But the spectators could certainly see you, which I found a little more daunting than I first thought.”
Mentored early on by John and naturally confident in her own ability, Kirsty quickly adapted to life behind the microphone and soon learned to tune out curious spectators peering into the tower.
“I enjoyed the thrill of seeing races come to their conclusion and it was a nice distraction from focusing on my own squad,” says Kirsty, who today is Head of Rowing at St Cuthbert’s College in Auckland. “I found it all very natural — just like chatting to the bank.”
During the early-season regattas, Kirsty tends to keep her preparation relatively simple, usually highlighting New Zealand representatives and working through any tricky pronunciations. However, as the season progresses and storylines begin to develop, her preparation becomes more detailed heading into the major regattas.
There are still challenges, however.
“Some names can be difficult to pronounce, but I try to work on this because everyone deserves their moment,” she explains. “Close races can also be hard to call, particularly when lanes one and eight are battling for position. I try my best to make the right call and do justice to the crews and their supporters.”
Making a deliberate point of not commentating races involving St Cuthbert’s crews, Kirsty has especially enjoyed calling the novice eight finals at the Maadi Regatta.
“It’s important to engage with first-time rowers and their supporters,” she says.
And for any aspiring rowing commentators of the future, does she have any advice?
“I’d say don’t get fixated on one boat, take your time before the race starts and prepare the names properly,” she explains. “Don’t be afraid to apologise if you get a name wrong and build your confidence gradually. Be prepared to take tips from others but remember, every commentator has their own individual style.”
Cantabrian Commentator Ian Cartwright has become a familiar voice at national regattas.
Ian Cartwright
For sheer speed of delivery, few commentators in Aotearoa New Zealand can match Ian Cartwright. Over the past seven years, the Cantabrian has become a familiar voice at Lake Ruataniwha and at national regattas across the country.
With a trademark style - some have likened to a horse racing commentator - Ian has earned a reputation for lifting the excitement levels whenever the racing intensifies.
“I think people like hearing different styles of commentary,” Ian explains. “They don’t want monotony and they don’t want the same five clichés repeated over and over.
“Spectators also don’t want too much mumbling, so I’ve learned to be quiet when I should be. But overwhelmingly, people are very gracious, and I’m guided by their feedback.”
Ian’s introduction to rowing came through his son, Alex, who competed for Shirley Boys’ High School. After Alex had finished rowing, Ian and his wife remained involved in the sport as volunteers and recognising his communication skills, Ian’s wife encouraged him to explore commentary. Following a conversation with Peter Midgley, he was offered his first opportunity behind the microphone at the 2019 Canterbury Championships - an opportunity he quickly embraced.
“I found it quite exhilarating and quickly got over the fear of saying something wrong,” he says. “I later completed a course with the voice of rowing in Great Britain, Dr Treharne-Jones, to cover the basics. I practised exercises and gradually learned how to put my own spin on commentary.”
Ian approaches commentary with a simple philosophy: inform, engage, and entertain. Central to that is ensuring every crew in a race receives recognition.
“Many of the regattas I cover are school regattas, and those athletes have got there with the support of their families,” he explains.
“That means I try to give every crew a mention during the race to help spectators stay engaged. I don’t just focus on the leading crews - I try to acknowledge everyone. If a parent has a child sitting seventh, they still deserve to know where their son or daughter is in the race.”
Asked to name the best race he has called, Ian points immediately to the dramatic 2023 Maadi Cup showdown between St Bede’s College and Hamilton Boys’ High School, where the crews were separated by just 0.06 seconds.
While he hopes to continue calling major races for many years to come, Ian insists commentary is only one small part of a much larger effort.
“The commentary is just a very small cog in a big engine that helps deliver a regatta,” he says. “People invest a huge amount of time and effort into getting to these events, and my hope is that I can play some small part in enhancing their enjoyment of the occasion.”
Commentator Megan Glenn loves the excitement of calling an unpredictable race because it allows her to build a compelling narrative around the action on the water.
Megan Glenn
A chance meeting with the livestream crew from Altitude HD at the 2025 New Zealand Rowing Championships opened the door to an unexpected commentary opportunity for self-confessed “chatterbox” Megan Glenn.
Megan, a coach at Waikato Rowing Club with more than 20 years’ involvement in the sport, had impressed the Altitude HD team with her clear speaking voice and natural conversational style. Looking to expand their commentary team, they invited her to try her hand at the microphone for the first time at the 2025 North Island Secondary Schools Championships at Lake Karapiro.
“I took to it like a duck to water,” Megan explains.
Adopting a style aimed at engaging both rowing aficionados and newcomers to the sport, Megan admits she is drawn to the organised chaos of the commentary booth.
“I find when I’m commentating, I’m doing five things at once - but that’s where I thrive,” says Megan, who also works as a personal fitness trainer.
“I might have one screen in front of me showing the race, access to other camera angles that aren’t on the broadcast, and I’m constantly flicking my eyes between all of them. I’ll have the messaging app open, typing while talking, asking questions to the director or for another coffee delivery. I’m at my worst before a race starts, but once I’m commentating, I’m completely in the zone.”
Now a regular commentator at major North Island and national regattas, Megan loves the excitement of calling an unpredictable race because it allows her to build a compelling narrative around the action on the water.
However, as she explains, the result itself is not always the most important part.
“For me, I love it when a crew delivers their best performance. Whether they finish first or eighth is irrelevant. I really enjoy seeing that and making it as exciting as possible for the audience.”
Megan also relishes the frenetic atmosphere of the Coastal Rowing Championships, but her standout commentary moment came during the surprise victory of Callum Tutbury and Arie Magasiva in the men’s premier double sculls at the 2026 New Zealand Rowing Championships.
“It was a real upset because they beat everyone from the summer squad,” she explains. “It was an awesome race in horrible conditions. At that point, Callum and Arie hadn’t made the senior team, but since then they’ve both earned selection for the New Zealand team.
Although her commentary career is still in its infancy, Megan admits she has ambitions to take it further.
“I would love the challenge of one day stepping up to international commentary. Hopefully, one day I’ll get the call from World Rowing.”
Experienced broadcaster and commentator Mark Watson rates the 2023 Maadi Cup showdown between Hamilton Boys’ High School and St Bede’s College as his favourite race he has called.
Mark Watson
Experienced broadcaster and commentator Mark Watson has covered a raft of great sporting occasions, but it is no exaggeration to say that calling the Maadi Regatta finals ranks among his proudest moments behind the microphone.
“I’ve called an Olympic 100m final, but I get as amped and excited for a Maadi Regatta as any other major event I’ve done,” says Mark, who has served as the livestream commentator for several years at all of New Zealand’s key national rowing regattas.
“There is such history and tradition around the event, and every time I get to cover a Maadi Regatta, I feel incredibly privileged to be associated with it. More broadly, the legacy of New Zealand rowing as our most successful Olympic sport is never lost on me.”
A conversation with the team at Altitude HD the livestream providers for many of New Zealand’s major regattas - opened the door for Mark to step into the world of rowing commentary, an experience he has found immensely fulfilling.
Excited by the challenge of immersing himself in the sport, Mark says his role as a commentator is also to help educate and upskill viewers.
“I’m a commentator who likes having two voices. I’m no rowing expert, so I like to have someone from the rowing community alongside me to share that knowledge. If you have an expert as the lead commentator with another expert beside them, they can end up only talking to other experts.
“I’m not afraid to ask questions like, ‘What does that mean for a non-rowing aficionado?’ while also hoping to offer something for the rowing diehard.”
A regular commentator at the Maadi Regatta, New Zealand Rowing Championships, New Zealand University Championships, and the Rowing New Zealand Beach Sprint Championships, Mark prepares thoroughly by jotting down notes and using visualisation techniques to sharpen his race-day commentary.
While he adopts a flexible and adaptable style behind the mic, what matters most to Mark is ensuring the athletes and their performances are honoured appropriately.
“I’m conscious that when a crew has a great race, we frame it the right way,” he says. “We have to remember the sport is the masterpiece. But like any masterpiece, to enhance it you have to place it in the right frame and under the right light - and that is the job of the commentator.”
Looking back, Mark rates the 2023 Maadi Cup showdown between Hamilton Boys’ High School and St Bede’s College as his favourite race he has called.
Yet there is still one ambition he hopes to fulfil.
“To commentate on the Olympic Eights final -that would be the pinnacle.”
Steve Landells
Steve Landells is an experienced communications specialist and sportswriter with more than 25 years' experience. He is currently a proud dad of a rower who competes for St Peter's College, Auckland.
Share Story
- Home
- /
- School Rowing
- /
- The voices shaping...
The voices shaping New Zealand rowing
Our on course and livestream commentators play a vital role in shaping the drama and emotion of race day. Four of the voices behind New Zealand rowing reflect on their experiences behind the microphone.
Kirsty Dunhill
For long-time on-course rowing commentator Kirsty Dunhill, stepping behind the microphone has provided immense joy for more than 15 years and offered a welcome sanctuary from the demands of coaching.
A former coxswain, Kirsty has been involved in rowing for almost four decades, although her commentary career began almost by accident.
Following the 2009 New Zealand Rowing Championships in Twizel, she was chatting with fellow on-course commentator John Howard when she casually remarked that commentary looked “fun and easy” - and admitted she quite liked the thought of a free lunch. When the pair crossed paths again the following season at Lake Karapiro, John reminded her of the conversation, and Kirsty soon found herself beginning her commentary journey at the 2009 Xmas Regatta.
“I thought it sounded like a dream to be locked away in the control tower where nobody could get at you,” she explains with a smile. “But the spectators could certainly see you, which I found a little more daunting than I first thought.”
Mentored early on by John and naturally confident in her own ability, Kirsty quickly adapted to life behind the microphone and soon learned to tune out curious spectators peering into the tower.
“I enjoyed the thrill of seeing races come to their conclusion and it was a nice distraction from focusing on my own squad,” says Kirsty, who today is Head of Rowing at St Cuthbert’s College in Auckland. “I found it all very natural — just like chatting to the bank.”
During the early-season regattas, Kirsty tends to keep her preparation relatively simple, usually highlighting New Zealand representatives and working through any tricky pronunciations. However, as the season progresses and storylines begin to develop, her preparation becomes more detailed heading into the major regattas.
There are still challenges, however.
“Some names can be difficult to pronounce, but I try to work on this because everyone deserves their moment,” she explains. “Close races can also be hard to call, particularly when lanes one and eight are battling for position. I try my best to make the right call and do justice to the crews and their supporters.”
Making a deliberate point of not commentating races involving St Cuthbert’s crews, Kirsty has especially enjoyed calling the novice eight finals at the Maadi Regatta.
“It’s important to engage with first-time rowers and their supporters,” she says.
And for any aspiring rowing commentators of the future, does she have any advice?
“I’d say don’t get fixated on one boat, take your time before the race starts and prepare the names properly,” she explains. “Don’t be afraid to apologise if you get a name wrong and build your confidence gradually. Be prepared to take tips from others but remember, every commentator has their own individual style.”
Cantabrian Commentator Ian Cartwright has become a familiar voice at national regattas.
Ian Cartwright
For sheer speed of delivery, few commentators in Aotearoa New Zealand can match Ian Cartwright. Over the past seven years, the Cantabrian has become a familiar voice at Lake Ruataniwha and at national regattas across the country.
With a trademark style - some have likened to a horse racing commentator - Ian has earned a reputation for lifting the excitement levels whenever the racing intensifies.
“I think people like hearing different styles of commentary,” Ian explains. “They don’t want monotony and they don’t want the same five clichés repeated over and over.
“Spectators also don’t want too much mumbling, so I’ve learned to be quiet when I should be. But overwhelmingly, people are very gracious, and I’m guided by their feedback.”
Ian’s introduction to rowing came through his son, Alex, who competed for Shirley Boys’ High School. After Alex had finished rowing, Ian and his wife remained involved in the sport as volunteers and recognising his communication skills, Ian’s wife encouraged him to explore commentary. Following a conversation with Peter Midgley, he was offered his first opportunity behind the microphone at the 2019 Canterbury Championships - an opportunity he quickly embraced.
“I found it quite exhilarating and quickly got over the fear of saying something wrong,” he says. “I later completed a course with the voice of rowing in Great Britain, Dr Treharne-Jones, to cover the basics. I practised exercises and gradually learned how to put my own spin on commentary.”
Ian approaches commentary with a simple philosophy: inform, engage, and entertain. Central to that is ensuring every crew in a race receives recognition.
“Many of the regattas I cover are school regattas, and those athletes have got there with the support of their families,” he explains.
“That means I try to give every crew a mention during the race to help spectators stay engaged. I don’t just focus on the leading crews - I try to acknowledge everyone. If a parent has a child sitting seventh, they still deserve to know where their son or daughter is in the race.”
Asked to name the best race he has called, Ian points immediately to the dramatic 2023 Maadi Cup showdown between St Bede’s College and Hamilton Boys’ High School, where the crews were separated by just 0.06 seconds.
While he hopes to continue calling major races for many years to come, Ian insists commentary is only one small part of a much larger effort.
“The commentary is just a very small cog in a big engine that helps deliver a regatta,” he says. “People invest a huge amount of time and effort into getting to these events, and my hope is that I can play some small part in enhancing their enjoyment of the occasion.”
Commentator Megan Glenn loves the excitement of calling an unpredictable race because it allows her to build a compelling narrative around the action on the water.
Megan Glenn
A chance meeting with the livestream crew from Altitude HD at the 2025 New Zealand Rowing Championships opened the door to an unexpected commentary opportunity for self-confessed “chatterbox” Megan Glenn.
Megan, a coach at Waikato Rowing Club with more than 20 years’ involvement in the sport, had impressed the Altitude HD team with her clear speaking voice and natural conversational style. Looking to expand their commentary team, they invited her to try her hand at the microphone for the first time at the 2025 North Island Secondary Schools Championships at Lake Karapiro.
“I took to it like a duck to water,” Megan explains.
Adopting a style aimed at engaging both rowing aficionados and newcomers to the sport, Megan admits she is drawn to the organised chaos of the commentary booth.
“I find when I’m commentating, I’m doing five things at once - but that’s where I thrive,” says Megan, who also works as a personal fitness trainer.
“I might have one screen in front of me showing the race, access to other camera angles that aren’t on the broadcast, and I’m constantly flicking my eyes between all of them. I’ll have the messaging app open, typing while talking, asking questions to the director or for another coffee delivery. I’m at my worst before a race starts, but once I’m commentating, I’m completely in the zone.”
Now a regular commentator at major North Island and national regattas, Megan loves the excitement of calling an unpredictable race because it allows her to build a compelling narrative around the action on the water.
However, as she explains, the result itself is not always the most important part.
“For me, I love it when a crew delivers their best performance. Whether they finish first or eighth is irrelevant. I really enjoy seeing that and making it as exciting as possible for the audience.”
Megan also relishes the frenetic atmosphere of the Coastal Rowing Championships, but her standout commentary moment came during the surprise victory of Callum Tutbury and Arie Magasiva in the men’s premier double sculls at the 2026 New Zealand Rowing Championships.
“It was a real upset because they beat everyone from the summer squad,” she explains. “It was an awesome race in horrible conditions. At that point, Callum and Arie hadn’t made the senior team, but since then they’ve both earned selection for the New Zealand team.
Although her commentary career is still in its infancy, Megan admits she has ambitions to take it further.
“I would love the challenge of one day stepping up to international commentary. Hopefully, one day I’ll get the call from World Rowing.”
Experienced broadcaster and commentator Mark Watson rates the 2023 Maadi Cup showdown between Hamilton Boys’ High School and St Bede’s College as his favourite race he has called.
Mark Watson
Experienced broadcaster and commentator Mark Watson has covered a raft of great sporting occasions, but it is no exaggeration to say that calling the Maadi Regatta finals ranks among his proudest moments behind the microphone.
“I’ve called an Olympic 100m final, but I get as amped and excited for a Maadi Regatta as any other major event I’ve done,” says Mark, who has served as the livestream commentator for several years at all of New Zealand’s key national rowing regattas.
“There is such history and tradition around the event, and every time I get to cover a Maadi Regatta, I feel incredibly privileged to be associated with it. More broadly, the legacy of New Zealand rowing as our most successful Olympic sport is never lost on me.”
A conversation with the team at Altitude HD the livestream providers for many of New Zealand’s major regattas - opened the door for Mark to step into the world of rowing commentary, an experience he has found immensely fulfilling.
Excited by the challenge of immersing himself in the sport, Mark says his role as a commentator is also to help educate and upskill viewers.
“I’m a commentator who likes having two voices. I’m no rowing expert, so I like to have someone from the rowing community alongside me to share that knowledge. If you have an expert as the lead commentator with another expert beside them, they can end up only talking to other experts.
“I’m not afraid to ask questions like, ‘What does that mean for a non-rowing aficionado?’ while also hoping to offer something for the rowing diehard.”
A regular commentator at the Maadi Regatta, New Zealand Rowing Championships, New Zealand University Championships, and the Rowing New Zealand Beach Sprint Championships, Mark prepares thoroughly by jotting down notes and using visualisation techniques to sharpen his race-day commentary.
While he adopts a flexible and adaptable style behind the mic, what matters most to Mark is ensuring the athletes and their performances are honoured appropriately.
“I’m conscious that when a crew has a great race, we frame it the right way,” he says. “We have to remember the sport is the masterpiece. But like any masterpiece, to enhance it you have to place it in the right frame and under the right light - and that is the job of the commentator.”
Looking back, Mark rates the 2023 Maadi Cup showdown between Hamilton Boys’ High School and St Bede’s College as his favourite race he has called.
Yet there is still one ambition he hopes to fulfil.
“To commentate on the Olympic Eights final -that would be the pinnacle.”
Steve Landells
Steve Landells is an experienced communications specialist and sportswriter with more than 25 years' experience. He is currently a proud dad of a rower who competes for St Peter's College, Auckland.
