The King’s Cup - interstate men's (coxed) eight

The King's Cup is Australia's blue riband annual rowing race for men. Since 1878 it has been contested by state representative senior heavyweight men's coxed eights at the annual Australian Interstate Regatta. Before it was the King's Cup, the event was called the Interstate Eight-Oared Championship.

Victoria and New South Wales commenced inter-colonial racing in eight-oared boats in 1878 when the Victorian Rowing Association invited New South Wales oarsmen from the Sydney and the Mercantile clubs to boat crews for a race on the lower Yarra River over about four miles. Queensland, South Australia and Tasmania all showed an interest in entering crews from the mid-1880s but disagreements over definitions of amateur status resulted in inconsistencies in eligibility criteria in the early decades. New South Wales held firm to a view that not just professional sportsmen and those employed around boats would be deemed non-amateurs but also all manual labourers. The other states had relaxed this view by 1899. 

Queensland and Tasmania first entered crews in 1885 and then Queensland raced regularly from 1890. From 1899 South Australia were racing annually. Following Federation the race became the interstate eight-oared championship with Tasmania and West Australia boating crews racing regularly by 1906.

From 1921, crews raced for the King’s Gold Cup which was first won by the Australian Imperial Expeditionary Force eight at the Royal Henley Peace Regatta at Henley-on-Thames in July 1919. The trophy was a substitution for the Grand Challenge Cup race for that year which was not raced due to the war.

Since 1973 the Australian Interstate Regatta has been conducted on the final day of the week-long annual Australian Rowing Championships. The King's Cup is the final event on the programme of the Interstate Regatta and of the Australian Championships.

A commemorative King’s Cup plaque was installed on 17 February 2013 at the Sydney International Regatta Centre, Penrith during the New South Wales Rowing Championships.

Notable NSW participants

  • Edmund Barton (Protectionist Party and Australia's 1st Prime Minister in 1901) rowed in 2 seat for Sydney University at the very first inter-university boat race in Melbourne in December 1870 and won by Melbourne Uni. Barton was also a foundation member of the Sydney Rowing Club.
  • James Chapman contested the King's Cup in NSW VIIIs on twelve occasions in the thirteen years from 2003 to 2015. He was in victorious on seven occasions.
  • David Anderson of the Leichhardt Club rowed in eight consecutive New South Wales King's Cup VIIIs from 1950 to 1957 for two victories.
  • Phil Cayzer stroked the New South Wales King's Cup VIII on five occasions from 1948 to 1954, winning the championship in 1949, 1950 and 1951.
  • Alan Grover coxed the New South Wales King's Cup VIII five times consecutively from 1962 to 1969 and then in 1980 for a sixth time.
  • Michael Morgan rowed in New South Wales King's Cup VIIIs for six consecutive years from 1968 to 1973, winning the title in 1968 and 1972.
2019: New South Wales hold The King's Cup aloft, following their third consectutive win in the Interstate Men's Eight

Past King's Cup results. Earlier results at the Bottom of Page

LOCATION YEAR GOLD SILVER BRONZE
Champion Lakes Regatta Centre, WA 2023 New South Wales Victoria Queensland
Lake Nagambie, VIC 2022 New South Wales Victoria Western Australia
Lake Barrington, TAS 2021 Victoria New South Wales Queensland
Sydney International Regatta Centre, NSW 2020 Cancelled due to COVID-19 Pandemic
Sydney International Regatta Centre, NSW 2019 New South Wales Victoria South Australia
Sydney International Regatta Centre, NSW 2018 New South Wales Victoria Western Australia
Sydney International Regatta Centre, NSW 2017 New South Wales Victoria South Australia
Sydney International Regatta Centre, NSW 2016 Victoria New South Wales South Australia
Sydney International Regatta Centre, NSW 2015 Victoria New South Wales South Australia
Sydney International Regatta Centre, NSW 2014 New South Wales South Australia Victoria
Sydney International Regatta Centre, NSW 2013 New South Wales Victoria South Australia
Champion Lakes Regatta Centre, WA 2012 New South Wales Victoria South Australia
West Lakes, SA 2011 New South Wales Victoria South Australia
Lake Nagambie, VIC 2010 New South Wales Victoria South Australia
Lake Barrington, TAS 2009 New South Wales Victoria Western Australia
Sydney International Regatta Centre, NSW 2008 New South Wales Victoria Western Australia
Lake Nagambie, VIC 2007 Victoria New South Wales Western Australia
Lake Barrington, TAS 2006 Victoria Western Australia New South Wales
Sydney International Regatta Centre, NSW 2005 Western Australia Victoria Queensland
Lake Nagambie, VIC 2004 New South Wales Victoria Queensland
Lake Barrington, TAS 2003 Victoria Western Australia New South Wales
Lake Nagambie, VIC 2002 Victoria Western Australia New South Wales
Lake Wivenhoe, QLD 2001 New South Wales Victoria Western Australia
Sydney International Regatta Centre, NSW 2000 Victoria Australian Capital Territory New South Wales
West Lakes, SA 1999 Western Australia Victoria Queensland
Lake Nagambie, VIC 1998 Victoria New South Wales Western Australia
Lake Barrington, TAS 1997 Australian Capital Territory New South Wales Victoria
Sydney International Regatta Centre, NSW 1996 Victoria New South Wales Queensland
Wellington Dam, WA 1995 Victoria New South Wales Western Australia
Lake Barrington, TAS 1994 Victoria New South Wales Queensland
Lake Wivenhoe, QLD 1993 Victoria Western Australia Queensland
Carrum, VIC 1992 Victoria Western Australia South Australia
West Lakes SA 1991 Victoria New South Wales Western Australia
Lake Barrington, TAS 1990 Victoria Western Australia Queensland
Wellington Dam, WA 1989 Abandoned due to Cyclone
Nepean River, Penrith, NSW 1988 Victoria South Australia New South Wales
Lake Barrington, TAS 1987 Victoria New South Wales Queensland
West Lakes, SA 1986 Victoria New South Wales South Australia
Lake Wendouree, VIC 1985 Victoria South Australia New South Wales
Lake Barrington, TAS 1984 New South Wales South Australia Victoria
Canning River, WA 1983 South Australia Victoria New South Wales
Nepean River, Penrith, NSW 1982 South Australia Tasmania Victoria
Hinze Dam, QLD 1981 South Australia Victoria Queensland
Lake Wendouree, VIC 1980 Victoria