Head of the River (New South Wales)

Newington's eight-oar crew, 1932

The AAGPS Head of the River regatta takes place in Penrith, New South Wales, Australia every March at the Sydney International Regatta Centre (SIRC). It is the culmination of the GPS (Great Public Schools) rowing season for senior crews.

From 1893 until 1935, the Regatta was held on the Parramatta River in Port Jackson – in early years from Putney to Gladesville and in later years from the Yaralla Estate at Concord to Cabarita.[1] From 1936 until 1996 it was raced on the Nepean River and finishing near the Nepean Bridge. Since 1996 it's been held on the Sydney Olympic course at Penrith. From 1893 until 1909 the blue-riband race was contested by four-oared boats, and since then by eight-oared boats with coxed fours contesting the minor events. By the 1930s when the eight Sydney GPS schools were competing the event on the Parramatta River, two heats of four lanes were raced and then a final was contested by the top four. Since 1996 the 1st and 2nd VIIIs race over 2000 metres. Previous events had the eights race over a mile and a half (excepting in 1946 and 1947 – a mile and a quarter) and fours racing over a mile. Up until the 1930s there was limited school participation in the regattas of the Sydney club rowing season and for many of the school squads the Head of the River was the sole and highlight race of their rowing season.[2] In those days the race was of great public interest and the regatta drew a huge flotilla of chartered ferries and vessels which would moor off Putney, Tennyson Point and Cabarita.

Eight of the nine GPS schools, Sydney Grammar School, The King's School, Newington College, Sydney Boys High School, The Scots College, St. Joseph's College, Saint Ignatius' College and Shore School, send their eights to the Head of the River. In 2012 the ninth, The Armidale School, started sending fours, and the first IV race of 2013 was historic as the first time crews from all nine GPS schools competed.[3] One of the most successful coaches of rowing among the schools was Robert Buntine at King's and Newington from 1966 until 1996.[4]

1934 victorious 1st VIII crew from Sydney Grammar

It is the last race of the official GPS rowing season, and follows the Riverview Gold Cup held on the Lane Cove River. The Head of the River is one week after other summer sports premierships – cricket and basketball – have finished. This enables over ten thousand school students and other supporters to attend.

The current (SIRC) record time (and former junior world record until 2001) for the 1st VIII is 5:42.6 set by Shore on 23 March 1996. The most recent winner of the AAGPS Head of the River, and holder of the Major Rennie Trophy is The Scots College winning the regatta in 2020 with a time of 6:05.02 ahead of the Kings School (6:07.89) and St Ignatius' College (6:09.74).

The NSW Schoolgirls Head of the River was first raced in 1991.[5] The inaugural Schoolgirls Head of the River Regatta took place on Middle Harbour Creek at Davidson Park, Roseville.[5] In following years the event was held at Iron Cove.[6]

The NSW Schoolgirls' Head of the River held at the Sydney International Regatta Centre (SIRC), in Penrith[7] on the Sunday following the Schoolboys Head of the River. It is organised by the NSW Combined Independent Schools Sports Council (NSWCISSC)[7] and is the culmination of the Schoolgirls' rowing season.

The current (SIRC) record time for the 1st VIII in the Schoolgirl Head of the River is 6:40 set by Queenwood School for Girls on 25 March 2017. The most recent winner of the NSW Schoolgirl Head of the River is Pymble Ladies' College.

Queenwood's 1st VIII and 2nd VIII celebrate their wins on the podium, 2014

Unlike the boys race, all affiliated schools of the NSWCISSC, NSW Combined High Schools Sports Association (NSWCHSSA), and the NSW Combined Catholic Colleges Sports association (NSWCCCSA), are eligible to nominate their students to compete in the girls regatta.[8] As at 2008, ten of the thirty AHIGS schools, those being Ascham School, Canberra Girls' Grammar School, Loreto Kirribilli, Loreto Normanhurst, MLC School, Presbyterian Ladies' College, Sydney, Pymble Ladies' College, Queenwood School for Girls, Roseville College, and Tara Anglican School for Girls, send their crews to the Head of the River, making up the bulk of entries. The regatta is becoming increasingly popular among girls crews from public and private non-AHIGS schools, most notably, St Paul's Grammar School, Kinross Wolaroi School, Sydney Girls High School, SCECGS Redlands, North Sydney Girls High School, Riverside Girls High School and Radford College.[9]

The New South Wales Rowing Association (NSWRA) holds ten perpetual trophies in trust for competition at the Schoolgirls regatta:[10]

1. the NSW Union of Ex-Oarswomen Rose Evans trophy for competition between schoolgirl first eights.
2. the University of Sydney Women's Sports Association trophy for competition between schoolgirl first coxed fours – now awarded to the schoolgirl second eight.
3. the Union of Boat Race Officials shield for competition between schoolgirl Senior coxed quadruple sculls.
4. the University of NSW Trophy for competition between schoolgirl open fours (not awarded in 2007 due to a change in program format).
5. the NSW Union of Oarswomen Golden Scull Trophy for competition between single scullers.
6. the Margaret Varady Trophy for competition between schoolgirl year 10 coxed quads.
7. the Betty Deer Rosebowl for the highest aggregate point score between competing schools.[8]
8. the William McKeith Trophy for the Junior handicap point score.
9. the Carol Bowern Shield for the Senior handicap point score.
10. the Janet Freeman Trophy for the Year 8 Coxed Quad Scull.

Since 2009 the regatta consists of eleven races.

• Head of the River (Australia)
• Athletic Association of the Great Public Schools of New South Wales
• Association of Heads of Independent Girls' Schools

• Rowing Australia
• NSW Rowing
• Sydney International Rowing Centre
• AAGPS
• NSWCIS