From Rugby Fitness to National Rowing Success
Liam Collins a Porirua local and now Ngāti Toa Rangatira sporting hero was recently selected in the NZ U21 Men’s quadruple Scull (4X) and Men’s Eight (8+) rowing teams.
Liam’s whakapapa to Ngāti Toa comes from his grandparents, Candy and Rota Roiri. He is the proud son of Sarah Collins and Tony Tikiku.
He recently reflected on his squad’s strong performance. It was an incredible campaign filled with valuable lessons. The proudest moment for Liam was donning the silver fern, representing Aotearoa, his whānau, iwi, and community. He vividly remembers the surreal experience of waiting at the starting line and seeing his teammate in the black New Zealand row suit ahead of him— it was an unforgettable moment.
Liam Collins second from the left
Rowing wasn’t his original sport of choice though, he says.
He got into the sport as a way to get fit for rugby and it worked. However, he kept losing races to rowers who were 20kgs lighter than he was. Determined to keep going, he trained hard with the goal of eventually beating those ‘skinny kids’.
Liam has been rowing for five years. He began his rowing career with the Porirua Club before moving down to Wairau for the 2022 – 2023 summer.
This was an awesome move for Liam. He found a room in a backpacker with two mates, working in the vineyards and rowing everyday – living the dream.
His hard work over a tough summer paid off with a silver medal at the national championships, finishing just 0.12 seconds behind first place.
His perseverance and hard work prepared him for a tough national and even tougher NZ trial. He was rewarded with selection in the U21 national team.
Outside of rowing, Liam is a big fan of sports. He played rugby at school but preferred getting out for a surf whenever there were good waves or even a ripple.
He even dabbles in the odd video game with his mates, but nowadays who doesn’t? Liam’s favourite kai is blue moon lamb shanks. His favourite movie switches between Interstella or Avatar.
When asked what his go-to sounds are? Liam reckons songs come and go and he often listens to some random playlists, but he is partial to FOO Fighters D.O.A.
Liam’s advice to other rangatahi who would like to take up rowing - give it a go!
He has created some of his best memories and he loves the daily grind to try and reach his ultimate goal. He likes to think that he comes from humble beginnings and that all you need to succeed is determination, hard work, and the right people supporting you.
He finishes by saying “Knowing that I have my iwi behind me makes me super excited for the future and continues to keep me motivated, driving me through the ranks until I am competing at the top level of my sport”.
Ka mau te wehi e tama!
