Vying for supremacy on Tauranga waters means that a local rowing club can now choose the destination for next year’s race, following their win on the weekend.

Formidable mixed rowing teams from the Bay of Plenty Coast Rowing Club and Tauranga Rowing Club took to the water on Saturday for the inaugural Club of Origin event.

The head-to-head showdown involved a race from Wairoa River, where the Bay of Plenty Coast Rowing Club has its home, around to the harbour and Memorial Park, where the Tauranga Rowing Club is headquartered, in the first of what they intend to be an ongoing challenge.

The testing of rivalry and skill between the two Tauranga city rowing clubs was on full display as the friendly rival squads lined up and then navigated their way to the finish line.

Map of the race from Wairoa River to Memorial Park. Image: Supplied.

“They started at the Wairoa River Bridge,” says Tauranga Rowing Club’s Richard van Dijk.

“We couldn’t start at the other club [further up Wairoa River] because of the temporary bridge in place for the expressway.”

Richard says the weather conditions were perfect for the day.

“No wind, a bit cold.”

Each club had a mixed rowing eight and a mixed octuple scull in the race. In an octuple there are eight rowers with two oars each. In a rowing eight there are eight rowers each with one oar, and a coxswain.

“We had four crews for safety reasons, as we had to have a designated safety boat with each rowing team.”

The rowing eight teams with their safety boats on Wairoa River.  Photo: Supplied.

The teams arrived at the Wairoa River starting point by 7am on Saturday to unload and prepare their boats and equipment.

The Club of Origin rowing race around the Tauranga harbour began promptly at 8.30am from the Wairoa River Bridge with the Octis going first and the Eights starting five minutes later.

The course was a one way race of 15km with a coin toss deciding which boat got to start on the right hand side of the river.

As expected, the octuple boats were the first to arrive around at the finish line near Memorial Park.

The Bay of Plenty Coast Rowing Club octuple team won their individual race in 58 minutes with the rival team not far behind.

“The Octis finished only 25 seconds apart. The single oar was three minutes behind that with the slowest crew completing it in one hour 11 minutes.”

One of the designated safety boats at Wairoa River. Photo: Supplied.

The overall winning club was decided based on the combined shortest time of both club boats, with the Tauranga Rowing Club receiving the trophy, recognition and bragging rights.

"Although BOPC won the individual Octi race, the fact that the Tauranga eight was well in front of the Bay Coast second boat meant we won the trophy," says Richard.

Richard says his Tauranga club, as the winners, now get to decide on the destination for next year.

“They can race from harbour around to the river, or river to the harbour.

“And they get to paint the trophy in their colours.”