In the lead up to this year’s Head of The River, over fifty old Aquinas rowers made their way to the River Centre for a long table lunch, where they reminisced on their past successes and celebrated the future endeavours of the Aquinas rowing program.

The event was a celebration of their shared history, the friendships that had been formed on the river, and the sport that had brought them all together. The special guest for the lunch was Max Cunningham, a former Aquinas rower and Olympian from the 1960 Games in Rome.

The long table lunch provided a great opportunity to reconnect with old teammates and, for some, to meet younger generations of alumni who share a common bond of rowing. The lunch festivities had the old rowers lined up at a beautiful long table in the River Centre's boat bays between the eights over-looking the Canning River.

There was also the chance to tour the new facilities, which had left the old rowers in awe. The facilities offer world-class equipment and space, providing the next generation of rowers with everything they need to take their talents to new heights.

During the lunch, old rowers presented the College with some memorabilia from their time rowing for the school. Tim Meagher kindly donated the rudder from the boat he coxed in 1957 and The Hesford Family found a truly unique piece of Aquinas Rowing history, a rowing club flag believed to be from the 1940s.

As the long table lunch came to an end, many participants shared their acknowledgments of how the day had rekindled their love for their sport and the beautiful facility that they were privileged to be in. Being able to come back and visit, they said, had made them all feel like they were back within the rowing community that they had left behind.

The long table lunch had been a great success, connecting old teammates, coaches, and supporters who all shared a passion for Aquinas Rowing. The facility at the Aquinas River Centre offers a bright future for the program, ensuring that future generations of rowers will have access to the same quality of equipment, support, and opportunities that the alumni before them had. With events like the long table lunch, the history of Aquinas rowing lives on in the present and offers a stunning future to the years ahead.

It is events like these that remind us of the importance of community, and the power of sport to bring people together. The long lunch for old rowers from Aquinas College was a testament to the enduring bonds that are formed through sport, and a celebration of the shared values that underpin the sport of rowing. With the success of this year’s event, a future long table lunch is planned for next season in the lead up to the 2024 Head of The River.

By Nick Collins
Director of Rowing