Fort Hare’s rowers will enjoy bragging rights for another 12 months following their demolition job of respected rivals WSU at their annual derby in East London on Saturday.
In a carbon copy of the 2023 results, both the men’s and women’s teams achieved one-sided victories on the Buffalo River in the presence of UFH Vice-Chancellor Sakhela Buhlungu.
The battle between the universities was first staged in 2019 as the Eastern Cape’s equivalent to the world-famous Oxford-Cambridge boat race held annually on the Thames in the United Kingdom.
Then, it was WSU who came away with the laurels and, due to the pandemic’s arrival in 2020, it meant that Fort Hare would have to wait four years for a shot at getting even.
Since the regatta’s reintroduction last year, it has been one-way traffic as the two eights teams dominated proceedings from the onset on both occasions.
According to coach Lunga Mcetywa, WSU’s men held their own in the initial exchanges of the 3km race but after that it had been plain sailing for his charges. The women’s race followed the same script, he said.
While the race weekend is exclusive to the two institutions, an intense desire to reign supreme has become the norm at races featuring both.
“They will always compare themselves to one another. It creates a nice rivalry,” Mcetywa said.
Fort Hare Vice-Chancellor Sakhela Buhlungu (back row with white cap) joined the celebrations after the men’s and women’s rowing teams defeated WSU in the annual boat races on Saturday. Photo: Tim Wilson
In the early part of the year, Fort Hare’s rowers were left paddling upstream following equipment failures at inopportune times.
Despite these putting them in the wake of their competitors, they returned to form with solid performances at the University Sports South Africa Boat Race in Port Alfred.
In addition, Fort Hare’s Lunike Mona and Alvin Rukini were selected to represent South Africa and Zimbabwe, respectively, at the recent African Beach Sprint Rowing Championships in Egypt.
In a further boost, the club has taken possession of several boats donated by the Western Cape Rowing Association.
While a number of these vessels needed some TLC, Mcetywa believed they would plug the hole in terms of providing his rowers with the equipment needed to perform at the highest level.
Another plus is that he will retain the majority of the 30-member squad for the 2025 season, auguring well for their short-term ambitions.
He conceded that January would be tough as nails as the Eastern Cape Championships would be upon them shortly after the Festive Season break.
However, he had factored this in and was planning a three-week camp to get the team up to speed as quickly as possible.
The most recent UFH-WSU showdown also provided an opportunity to give Fort Hare’s novices some much-needed racing experience when they took on a junior Buffalo Rowing Club outfit, whom Mcetywa are helping prepare for a schools regatta.