By this time, the fact that the Tuks women’s A-crew had won the USSA Boat Race for the seventh consecutive time is not news anymore.
Most Tuks sports fans would know that. What is news is that the cox that got the girls to push themselves to their utmost limits and work as a crew won’t be in their boat again next year.
Simphiwe Tshabalala is in Britain studying law at the Oxford Brookes University.
“I really wanted to study law. The other reason why I left is because I am passionate about rowing. The reality, however, is that there are few opportunities to compete if you are a cox. For a cox, the most significant event in South Africa is the USSA Boat Race. I want to race. In Britain, I can.
“To race for Tuks in the Boat Race with my brother, Phume, is a memory I will cherish for a long time. We did not win, but we all can hold our heads high as everyone gave their all in the final. Another lasting memory will be coxing Tuks women’s A-crew to a seventh consecutive victory. The women raced a heck of a race.”
Tshabalala was an avid rower up to Grade 10 but felt like making a change. So he took up coxing.
What does it take to be a good cox?
“That’s a tricky question. It is hard to judge yourself. Usually, you get judged by external peers or coaches, but the one thing that helped me throughout this process was learning very quickly.
“I always say that I have one of the best lines, which might be just a bit of arrogance, but, you know, I say what I say. Listening to my crew, I can also adapt my strategy during a race. And, you know, all also the knowledge that I have. I’ve built a lot of knowledge from different coaches.
“What is of cardinal importance is that the crew must trust whatever I say. If I say that we need to push, the crew needs to be able to trust that. That’s what’s gonna happen. If it goes wrong, it goes wrong. But you need to be able to trust me the same way I need to trust that when I tell you to do something, you’ll do it.
“Building relationships with every rower is essential, especially if you want to succeed. It doesn’t mean that if you build a good relationship, you’ll win, but you know, you’ll enjoy it more, and your chances of succeeding will be much better purely because you’re doing everything together. It is also essential for a cox to trust the coach.”
Tuks’s coach, Thato Mokoena, can’t help but be proud of how the women’s A-crew raced.
“The girls approached the race with maturity and discipline, allowing the cox to guide them through the course efficiently. They ended up beating UJ in the final by 1:40 seconds. They are now just one win away from tying Rhodes Regatta’s record.
“The A men are in a transition phase, having lost many strong rowers over the years, with only two members from last year’s crew. However, their performance, coming within one second of UCT, is a significant improvement.”
