RMB National Squad prepare for Memorial Paolo D’Aloja Regatta in Piediulco, Italy.

The RMB National squad has been hard at work for the past 3 weeks in Tzaneen, Limpopo.

The tropical town of Tzaneen provides an idyllic venue for all forms of training during the summer and winter months. The dam has not been full for quite a few years, but recent bountiful rains have ensured that all dams in the area are near full capacity which has enabled the RMB National Squad to make use of this world-class venue.

Training camps have taken on a renewed focus and value since the hyacinth challenges we have faced at our home base in Pretoria at Roodeplaat Dam. The Greater Tzaneen Municipality has been very supportive of the RMB National Squad conducting training camps in the town and we thank them for their support. There is great benefit to many local businesses and service providers in the area. We stay at Hotel @ Tzaneen, make use of Freda Dry Physiotherapy, train at Health & Fitness Tzaneen and make use of Large Security to secure our equipment.
The RMB National Squad departs for Italy on Saturday 2nd April 2022. They will compete at their first international competition at the Memorial Paolo D’Aloja Regatta in Piediulco, Italy. The event will bring together top international teams during their pre-season preparation, and will give an early indicator of crew speeds. The event is two regattas in one, which provides great value to the athletes as they can race four times during the weekend. The Italian Rowing Federation also generously supports visiting nations.

This year the team will be joined by the top provincial junior rowers from the South African Schools Rowing Championships, which we are very excited about. Our provincial junior rowers and newly appointed Junior Co-ordinator and Junior Head Coach, Caitlin Dace, will be taking part in the World Rowing Development Camp which will afford them further opportunities to network, train and learn from rowers from other countries, as well as World Rowing Development coaches. Giving all athletes their first taste of international competition is crucial to their development and preparation towards selection to the final RMB National Squad teams for their respective World Rowing Championships later in the year.

The RMB National Squad transports an immense amount of equipment to and from training camps. Three trailers with boats, oars, lane ropes and coach boats travel with the team. Each squad member has their own Concept2 RowErg and we have a pool of Concept2 BikeErgs which are shared amongst the team, as well as a vast amount of weight plates, Olympic bars, squat racks, etc. Thanks to our official provider Rebel Elite Fitness for the equipment.

Brother South Africa have also come on board to assist in the organization of all our equipment both at our home base at the University of Pretoria and Roodeplaat Dam, and also on the road during training camps and international travel. The use of their versatile labelling machines outside of the office and into an outdoor sporting environment is crucial to the custody of the team’s assets at home and abroad.

Senior Team for Memorial Paolo D’Aloja Regatta:

Kirsten Macdonald
Sandro Torrente
Jake Green
Luc Daffarn
James Mitchell
Thabelo Masutha
Henry Torr

U23 Team for Memorial Paolo D’Aloja Regatta:

Katherine Williams
Courtney Westley
Christopher Baxter
Damien Bonhage-Koen

Coaches:

Tiago Loureiro
Andrew Grant
Thato Mokoena