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It couldn't be further removed from New Zealand, the social and sporting scene of the posh and particular 'Henley on Thames' rowing regatta, yet these places are inexorably linked, and in a variety of ways.
There are several regatta at Henley every summer, the primary being the Royal Henley Regatta,The others are; Henley Women's Regatta, Henley Masters Regatta and Henley Town and Visitors' Regatta. Because it all began in 1839, the rules, many of which date from that time, are specific to the occasion, and not necessarily aligned with International fixtures. Competitors are required to compete for their clubs, so New Zealanders line up for the likes of Waiariki and Petone, against a hundred or so others with seriously posh names, mostly from the northern hemisphere.
The first Kiwi incursion upon the pomp of Henley came before the first world war, when a group of London-based Maori secured an invitation to the 1911 rowing regatta, built their own canoe, and showed up in force and in traditional dress, taking to the water proudly amongst the rowboats of olde. Their waka was named 'Te Arawa' after the first Arawa Canoe, and the the half male, half female crew were 'from Maggie Papakura's troupe at White City.'
One report said 'Their brown bodies and powerful arms gleamed in the sun and there has been no such barbaric-looking crew on Father Thames since the early Britons paddled the stream in their basket boats.'
After the war, New Zealanders were invited to the Royal Henley Peace Regatta, the Returned and Services Association has records of this historic event. They competed in fours, eights and single sculls. Even since before this event, New Zealand had demonstrated competitiveness at rowing, this regatta being the centerpiece of international action, and New Zealanders showing up throughout the 19th Century.
The connection with Henley was well and truly underlined in the 2000s, when Mahe Drysdale took away prize after prize, including the Diamond Challenge Sculls for the men’s single five times, and younger rower Matt Dunham coming to the fore. The 2017 event was probably New Zealand's most convincing whitewash, with a majority of both men's and women's evens going the kiwi way.
These athletic achievements have drawn increasing crowds of New Zealand spectators, some of whom must be baffled by the barely-altered 1839 codes and traditions of behaviour and attire. Inside the Stewards' enclosure it is suits or blazer and flannel trousers for men. For women it's below-the-knee dresses, no trousers, culottes, or divided skirts. The hat is not compulsory but socially compulsory, making this one of the biggest hat-days on Britain's summer calendar. The first offence of using a mobile phone is punished by the embarrassment of a reprimand and recording of the offender's badge number, the second offence sees the mobile-phone user escorted from the enclosure.
On the Taieri Plains south of Dunedin is a little dot of a town named Henley. Though most of the area's original settlers were Scots, there is an assumption it was named for Henley on Thames. It is the closest town to one of New Zealand's major rowing centres, Lake Waihola. Though Henley and Waihola may seem rural and underdeveloped compared with their northern hemisphere counterparts, they are New Zealand's answer to Henley on Thames, and regattas at Lake Waihola were markers on the road to success for Drysdale and other New Zealand rowers.
If you are desperate to savour the Kiwi connection at Henley-on-Thames, a visit to The Argyll may suffice, the publican there is a Kiwi and proud.
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