New ANZ team in training for Corporate Regatta

A new look ANZ team is in training for the Port Vila Rowing Club’s Corporate Regatta to be held on 27th May. “Regatta” is the term used to refer to a rowing competition and the word “corporate” means private sector businesses. The Rowing Club holds two Corporate Regattas each year – one in May and one in October.

The ANZ team has previously been one of the most experienced, successful and very competitive teams but this year welcomes some new rowers. It’s good to see others learning the skills of powering a four person boat (a quad) down the Lagoon at speed – backwards. One member is held in reserve in case of illness but everyone comes along and trains hard. Each team must contain at least one female rower but sometimes all female teams enter.

The teams entered from businesses such as AON, Fletchers, medical staff from Vila Central Hospital and the Vanuatu Tourism Office, have been training since March when the competition training opened.

Each team fields 5 rowers who go into training with one of the Ni-Vanuatu coach allocated by the Club. The Australian Institute of Sport conducted a Certificate 1 Coaches Program for the Club and over 20 participated. Each volunteers the coaching time to return the investment made by the Club and community in their own rowing programs.

Each team works out in the gym with a cross training program as well as rowing as regularly as their work commitments allow. Some of the teams row three times a week and do gym sessions on the other days. Some come at 5am before work.

The Club has a shower and change room so rowers can shower, get into their uniforms and go to work. The Rowing Club opens from 5am to 8.30am daily when the waters of the Lagoon is smooth or after work in the afternoons around 3pm for school rowers and then stays open ‘til well after 7pm.

As always, the Club welcomes new rowers and spectators. So come on down to the Rowing Cub at 8am Saturday 27th May and watch. There’ll be a BBQ and drinks on sale. Families of rowers, corporates and the public are very welcome.

As in the business world, the competition and rivalry is strong. The other elements of commitment, vision, strategy, determination, team spirit are common to all business organisations and the reason why the Regatta is so well supported by Vila’s private sector – building that team Esprit de Coeur so essential to corporate success!