Tauranga Boys College’s (TBC) school rowing team has launched a rowing recipe book – titled ‘Refuel’ – to fundraise for a new boat and challenge for the Maadi Cup within four seasons.
The book is designed to provide easy, budget-friendly and effective recipes for parents of not just rowers but all young athletes – for carb loading and generally healthy eating, for lunch boxes also for “before and after” tough training sessions.
Entirely in-house
The book was conceived and produced entirely in house by Tauranga Boys’ College Rowing’s fundraising team and includes recipes from students, parents and Olympic champions Emma Twigg and Joe Sullivan plus recent squaddie Matt Dunham and Jackie Kiddle.
Everyone involved in the project has or has had a son in the rowing team during the development of the book, said TBC Rowing programme leader Tanya Williams.
: The cover of Tauranga Boys College rowing team’s new book for sale. Photo / Supplied
Proceeds from the book will go towards purchasing a new eight-man boat that carries eight sweep oar rowers and one coxswain.
1200 copies only
She said only 1200 copies of ‘Refuel’ will be printed and expects they will be in hot demand as busy mums and dads try to keep their young athletes in peak condition, especially in the lead-up to Christmas.
“I don’t know any rowing parent who is not amazed what a rower can eat but that’s the nature of the sport,” she said. What Yearelvels would these students be?
“‘Refuel’ is a one-stop shop for them and is packed with recipes that are simple and effective for rowers who regularly consume more than 4000 calories a day when they are racing or training hard.”
The school has had several notable successes in the past few rowing seasons as the programme has gathered pace, Williams said. In 2023 it moved to Bay Coast Rowing Club – itself planning for major expansion and the same year Jameson McConnochie won the Under 17 singles title – and a very welcome new Lazlo single for the school.
In 2024 the school also produced the Maadi Regatta gold medal-winning Under 15 boys quad. Sculler Tyler Nelson took a bronze medal in the North Island Club Championships and in 2025 at the North Island Secondary Schools; and the school made a record number of A and B finals. At Maadi this year, the school’s top crew boat was part of the fastest ever U18 boys double scull final, Williams said.
Rebuilding the club
New Zealand’s 2005 World Champion pair rower Nicola Austin, who is part of TBC’s dedicated volunteer coaching team, said there had been a great focus on putting the school back where it belongs on the water. Currently, the club has 48 students from Year 9-13.
“The boys in the past few seasons have been aware of the huge task everyone has faced in the rebuilding of the club and they have been amazing in making big steps forward on the water,” she said.
“That last step, to where we can compete at the very highest level, is the next big piece of the jigsaw in the rebuilding of the programme and that’s the motivation behind ‘Refuel’. We’re pretty clear in that for us, next stop is a new eight and a Maadi Cup Under 18 eight programme.”
Copies of ‘Refuel’ are for sale from $34.95 per copy at: www.tbc.school.nz\etickets, at Karapiro regattas in the lead-up to Christmas or at Bin Inn at Bethlehem Shopping Centre.