Wellington Rowing Club life member Jack Collin has been involved with the club on and off for more than 60 years, and while his own rowing and coaching days may be behind him, he continues to support young rowers through donations to the WRC Scholarship Fund.
Jack’s connection with WRC began in the 1960s, when his previous club Petone couldn’t find him space to store his single, prompting him to make the move into town. Petone’s loss was very much Wellington’s gain, with Jack quickly establishing himself as a key figure within the club, involved with multiple champion crews and serving as Club Captain for four years.
Not only did Jack row himself, he played an instrumental role in building both the competitive strength and culture of the club. He was deeply involved in recruiting and developing young rowers, particularly through connections with local schools such as Onslow College. His efforts helped assemble crews that would go on to achieve significant success, including national titles. Reflecting on that era, Jack describes it as a time when “success bred success,” with strong performances in Premier events attracting more athletes to WRC and lifting the entire club.
However, Jack’s contributions went well beyond his work at WRC, benefiting Porirua RC and later Nelson RC as well, where he helped establish and rebuild rowing programmes from the ground up. Often starting with limited resources, these initiatives relied on creativity, hard work, and community spirit – whether that meant fundraising through raffles, building club infrastructure, or simply giving young athletes a chance to stay involved in the sport.
This deep involvement in all aspects of rowing life over many years led to Jack’s decision to donate to the Wellington Rowing Club Scholarship Fund.
His first donation came from a chance encounter. While travelling home from a family reunion, Jack stopped at a service station and saw a Wellington Rowing Club trailer loaded with boats returning from a training camp. He got chatting with the driver, and the conversation turned to the cost of the sport.
“The cost of participating in rowing is quite significant,” Jack explains. “And it drives quite a few potentially good rowers away.”
As Jack points out, there’s a particular risk at the point rowers finish school, when many decide they simply can’t afford to continue on to row at university or for a club.
For Jack, this represents a loss not just for individuals but for rowing as a whole.
“There’s a big dropoff after school,” he notes. “You’ve got thousands rowing at school level, but far fewer continuing into clubs.
“We don’t have the depth at a senior level anymore. For example, you often only have straight finals for the Premier eights at the National Championships, because there aren’t enough rowers able to compete at that level.”
That’s why Jack was keen to contribute to the Scholarship Fund, which is often used to support young rowers as they leave school and enter the club environment.
Jack’s donation is both practical and symbolic. It provides direct support to athletes, while also sending a clear message about the importance of investing in the next generation.
His hope is that others will follow suit.
Jack’s career in rowing has been all about giving back to the sport. Whether that be through his own rowing achievements, coaching, fundraising, or governance – from a club level right through to Rowing New Zealand – Jack has devoted decades to rowing. His donations ensure his influence will continue for many years to come.
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