Head of the River (New South Wales)

The Head of the River rowing regatta refers to two New South Wales school rowing competitions, one for boys and one for girls.

AAGPS Head of the River Regatta

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.St Joseph's College magazine 1927 From 1936 until 1996 it was raced on the Nepean River and finished 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 in 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 (except 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.St Joseph's College magazine 1928 In those days, the race was of great public interest. The regatta drew a huge flotilla of chartered ferries and vessels which would moor off Putney, Tennyson Point and Cabarita.

As of 2021, all nine of the 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, The Armidale School and Shore School, send their eights to the Head of the River. Prior to 2021, The Armidale School did not send their eight to the regatta. In 2012 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. One of the most successful coaches of rowing among the schools was Robert Buntine at King's and Newington from 1966 until 1996.Bob Buntine: Beloved teacher coached rowers to historic victories Retrieved 21 April 2016.

It is the last race of the official GPS rowing season, and usually 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 129th AAGPS Head of the River was held at SIRC on the 21st of March 2026.

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, in the first year that the race was held at SIRC. The most recent winner of the AAGPS Head of the River, and holder of the Major Rennie Trophy is The Shore School, winning the regatta in 2026 with a time of 5:53.36 ahead of Saint Ignatius' College, Riverview (5:53.40) and St Joseph's College (5:59.25).

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

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

The current (SIRC) record time for the 1st VIII in the Schoolgirl Head of the River is 6:38.08 set by St Catherine's School on 18 March 2023. The most recent winner of the NSW Schoolgirl Head of the River is Pymble Ladies' College. 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. As of 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.

The New South Wales Rowing Association (NSWRA) holds ten perpetual trophies in trust for competition at the Schoolgirls regatta: the NSW Union of Ex-Oarswomen Rose Evans trophy for competition between schoolgirl first eights. the University of Sydney Women's Sports Association trophy for competition between schoolgirl first coxed fours – now awarded to the schoolgirl second eight. the Union of Boat Race Officials shield for competition between schoolgirl Senior coxed quadruple sculls. the University of NSW Trophy for competition between schoolgirl open fours (not awarded in 2007 due to a change in program format). the NSW Union of Oarswomen Golden Scull Trophy for competition between single scullers. the Margaret Varady Trophy for competition between schoolgirl year 10 coxed quads. the Betty Deer Rosebowl for the highest aggregate point score between competing schools. the William McKeith Trophy for the Junior handicap point score. the Carol Bowern Shield for the Senior handicap point score. the Janet Freeman Trophy for the Year 8 Coxed Quad Scull.

AAGPS Head of the River Regatta winners Since 2009 the regatta consists of eleven races.

1893 to 1999 + Results Year 1st VIII 2nd VIII1st IV2nd IV 1893 Shore – Shore – 1894 Grammar – Shore – 1895 Shore – Shore – 1896 Shore – Shore – 1897 Shore – Shore – 1898 Shore – Shore – 1899 St Ignatius' – St Ignatius' – 1900 Shore – Shore – 1901 St Ignatius' – St Ignatius' – 1902 Grammar – Grammar – 1903 Grammar – Grammar – 1904 Grammar – Grammar – 1905 St Ignatius' – St Ignatius' – 1906 Shore – Shore St Ignatius' 1907 St Ignatius' – St Ignatius' – 1908 Shore – Shore St Ignatius' 1909 Grammar – Grammar – 1910 Shore – Grammar – 1911 St Joseph's – St Ignatius' – 1912 Grammar – Grammar – 1913 Shore – St Ignatius' – 1914 Shore – Shore – 1915 Shore – St Joseph's – 1916 St Joseph's – Grammar – 1917 Grammar – Grammar – 1918 Grammar – St Joseph'sGrammar 1919 Grammar – St Ignatius'Grammar 1920 King's – St Ignatius'St Joseph's 1921 Newington – King'sSt Joseph's 1922 Grammar – King'sShore 1923 Grammar – ShoreSt Joseph's 1924 Grammar – HighShore 1925 High – NewingtonHigh 1926 High – King'sKing's 1927 High – NewingtonShore 1928 Shore – ShoreShore 1929 High – HighSt Ignatius' 1930 Declared No Race – St Joseph'sSt Joseph's 1931 Shore – HighSt Joseph's 1932 St Joseph's – St Joseph'sHigh 1933 St Joseph's – HighScots 1934 Grammar – GrammarShore 1935 Shore – St Joseph'sSt Joseph's 1936 St Joseph's – St Joseph'sShore 1937 Shore – ShoreShore 1938 Shore – HighSt Joseph's 1939 Shore – HighHigh 1946 Scots – ScotsShore 1947 Newington – King'sHigh 1948 High – HighHigh 1949 Shore – HighHigh 1950 Shore – ShoreHigh 1951 Shore – NewingtonShore 1952 Shore – ShoreShore 1953 High – HighShore 1954 Shore – ShoreSt Joseph's 1955 Grammar – St Joseph'sSt Joseph's 1956 St Joseph's – ShoreHigh 1957 High – NewingtonHigh 1958 St Ignatius' – HighHigh 1959 High – ShoreGrammar 1960 Shore – HighSt Joseph's 1961 Shore – King'sScots 1962 Scots – King'sGrammar 1963 Newington – GrammarHigh 1964 St Ignatius'St Ignatius'St Ignatius'Newington 1965 Scots – St Ignatius'Grammar 1966 Newington – St Joseph'sKing's 1967 King's – NewingtonGrammar 1968 King'sNewingtonKing'sShore 1969 King'sGrammarKing'sShore 1970 King'sGrammarKing'sNewington 1971 St Joseph'sKing'sScotsShore 1972 King'sNewingtonSt Joseph'sKing's 1973 St Joseph'sSt Joseph'sKing'sKing's 1974 St Ignatius'St Ignatius' King'sKing's 1975 St Ignatius'King'sKing'sKing's 1976 NewingtonSt Ignatius'HighKing's 1977 NewingtonShoreShoreShore 1978 GrammarGrammar ScotsScots 1979 ScotsShoreShoreShore 1980 King'sSt Ignatius' ShoreShore 1981 King'sShoreKing'sShore 1982 King'sKing'sNewingtonGrammar 1983 King'sSt Joseph'sKing'sKing's 1984 King'sShoreShoreShore 1985 ShoreShoreShoreShore 1986 ShoreKing'sShoreScots 1987 NewingtonNewingtonShoreShore 1988 ShoreNewingtonShoreShore 1989 NewingtonNewingtonShoreShore 1990 NewingtonKing'sSt Joseph'sSt Ignatius' 1991 NewingtonSt Joseph'sShoreShore 1992 NewingtonNewingtonSt Joseph'sSt Joseph's 1993 King'sNewingtonShoreNewington 1994 NewingtonSt Ignatius'ShoreSt Joseph's 1995 ShoreShoreShoreKing's 1996 ShoreNewingtonShoreShore 1997 NewingtonShoreSt Joseph'sShore 1998 NewingtonShoreShoreShore 1999ShoreShoreShoreShore

The 1st VIII – Major Rennie Trophy