At the age of 20, Angus Dawson (S&A 2018) will be the youngest member of the Australian Olympic Rowing Team, set to compete at the 2021 Tokyo Olympic Games!
Angus grew up on the family farm near Kuipto, in the Adelaide Hills. Angus began at Saints in 2014 as a year 8 student, joining his older brother in School & Allen.
In the 2017 season, Angus made it into the Saints First VIII. This crew was successful in winning the Head of the River with Angus in the stroke seat and James McRae recording his first HOR win as coach. Oscar McGuinness (WDK 2017) and Will Smith (FLL 2017) were also in his 2017 crew. Oscar has represented Australia as a U23 Lightweight rower and Will has represented Australia in World Cup Championships as a para rower.
In Year 11, Angus was selected and represented SA for the first time at the National Championships with the SA crew winning the bronze medal. Angus was then invited to join the rowing squad at the South Australian Sports Institute (SASI). In Year 11 Angus also represented Saints in First XIII Rugby and First XVIII Football.
In Year 12, Angus was elected Captain of the St Peter’s College Boat Club and he stroked the First VIII to a third consecutive Head of the River win. He rowed again in the SA Youth VIII at the National Championships and won his first National Championship in the U19 Men’s Double Scull with Unley High School rower Mitch Reinhard.
Angus was awarded Keys to the school and received a Rowing Scholarship to the University of California Berkeley in the USA.
In 2019, He rowed with the SA Kings Cup crew in the Centenary of the Kings Cup with his school coach James McRae, Nathan Bowden and now fellow Olympian Alex Hill.
Subsequently, Angus qualified to row in the Australian U23 Men’s coxed Four at the World Championships held in Florida USA. His crew led from start to finish in two races and he became a U23 World Champion at the age of 18.
Angus then commenced his studies and rowing at the University of California, Berkeley. Angus’ good form and determination earned him a seat in Cal’s top boat in his first year.
Unfortunately, the Covid pandemic interrupted the 2020 USA Collegiate rowing program and academic studies, resulting in Angus returning to Australia and deferring his studies. In February 2021, he was invited to join the Australian Rowing Team at the National Training Centre in Canberra and within four weeks he was selected for the Australian men’s rowing team to go to the Tokyo Olympics in the Men’s VIII.
At the 2021 Australian Rowing Championships at Lake Barrington in Tasmania, he won his first senior national championship with Alex Hill in the men’s pair.
The Australian Olympic Rowing Team was announced on Saturday the 13 June 2021 at Adelaide Oval. Angus’ family, First VIII Coach James McRae and Director of Rowing Tim Hennessy were all in attendance to congratulate him on this terrific achievement. Angus was joined on stage by his brother Hugh Dawson (S&A 2015), who presented him with his Olympic jacket.
The entire St Peter’s College Rowing community is immensely proud of Angus’ achievements, and we can’t wait to follow his progress at the 2021 Tokyo Olympic Games!
Go Australia!
Tom Beresford (MAC 2018)
The Blackmore Club
Website: www.blackmoreclub.com.au
Facebook: @blackmoreclub
Instagram: @saintsrowing
Have your say!
The Blackmore Club together with the Saints Boat Club are looking to bring the St Peter’s College rowing community together to celebrate the recent National Rowing Championship win by our First VIII and the 100 year anniversary of the Head of the River next year.
A survey is being conducted to gain feedback from our community on how best to celebrate these milestones. Please complete the survey here.
