TROPHIES
rowing ,” and that , at the time of writing , “ Tauranga College held both the Springbok Shield and the Maadi Cup for the top Eight in New Zealand .” He felt it was fitting for Jeppe to know “ the prestige which the Springbok Shield has in New Zealand .”
Mr Juniper presenting the Springbok Shield at the New Zealand Schools ’ Championships , 1996
“ The photo to the left is of Dad holding the Kiwi Shield . It was taken in 1996 at the SA Schools ’ Championships where he presented it to the winning crew . Later that year he came to visit us in New Zealand . I had had the Springbok Shield refurbished , and when they heard that my folks were visiting , they were invited to the regatta as guests of honour , and both presented awards to some winning crews . Dad presented the Springbok Shield to Christ College , as shown in the photo above .”
Dennis was subsequently informed that the Christ College ‘ Register ’ for 1996 records the following : “ A sweet victory came for the Under-19 Four ... The coveted Springbok Shield was presented by its maker , ‘ Juni ’ Juniper of South Africa , along with a commemorative medal and tie for each rower and coach .”
Some years later , Mr Juniper , who had been SA National Waterskiing Team Manager ( 1968-9 ), presented the Kiwi Shield at the SA Schools ’ Championships in 1996 ( see picture at the beginning of the article ). It so happened that , a few weeks later , he and Mrs Juniper were in New Zealand , visiting their younger son , Dennis , who had emigrated to Christchurch , and whilst they were there , the 51st New Zealand Schools ’ Regatta took place . As relayed by Dennis , who himself had rowed for Jeppe during the period 1962-1965 :
By attending the New Zealand Schools ’ Regatta and doing these presentations , Mr and Mrs Juniper helped to cement the tie that had been established between the schools ’ rowing fraternities of the two countries 32 years before . That Mr Juniper was called upon in 1996 to present first the Kiwi Shield to the top SA Schools ’ Coxed Four at Roodeplaat , and then the Springbok Shield to the top NZ Schools ’ Coxed Four at Christchurch , is a fortuitous and gratifying little component of the Jeppe Rowing Story . It was serendipitous that a year later , in 1997 , Jeppe crews travelled to New Zealand and participated in the 52nd New Zealand Schools ’ Regatta , with the First Eight winning gold and the First Four silver , coming second to that year ’ s top New Zealand schoolboy crew .
Jeppe High School for Boys ‘ A ’ Crew , 1959 , ( left to right ): Doc Tomlinson ( coach ), Herb Freercks , Michael Watt , Kenneth Brooks ( cox ), Martin Maine , James Davidson
42 SA Schools Rowing Champs 2023