A Christchurch high school stood down three rowing coaches from the Maadi Cup Regatta last month after concerns were raised about their conduct during the event.
Shirley Boys' High School headmaster Tim Grocott said he was alerted to the behaviour of the three male coaches on March 24.
While the coaches were contracted to the school’s rowing programme, they were not employees of Shirley Boys'.
"It was clear from the concerns raised that the conduct was not acceptable and did not reflect the values and expectations of the school," Grocott said in an emailed statement to 1News.
The Christchurch Star reported that female rowing coaches complained about the behaviour of the trio while they were socialising into the night on the opening day of competition at Lake Ruataniwha in Twizel.
The school's head of rowing spoke to the coaches and told them to return home immediately, with no further involvement in the Maadi Regatta.
Grocott said he was not aware of any other complaints during the wider rowing season and confirmed the action taken related specifically to behaviour at the Maadi Cup.
"The school is treating this as a serious matter," he said.
An internal review of the rowing season is already underway and will include follow up into the incident, Grocott said.
The Maadi Cup secondary schools national rowing championships is one of New Zealand’s most prestigious sporting events.
The 2026 edition ran from March 23 to 28, with 2280 athletes from 127 schools participating.
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