'It's a very pretty sport.” An insightful but unexpected take on her chosen sport of rowing by 17-year-old sculler Rebecca Frood.

I was expecting tough, time-consuming, disciplined. 'Yes, it's all those too. But it's very elegant.”

You had to be sitting in the chase boat out on Tauranga Harbour just after six o'clock last Saturday morning to contextualise those observations.

A new dawn had daubed the Papamoa Hills skyline with a brilliant orange, the city still slept and the Tauranga Girls' College octuple – or sculled eight – is poised out on the flood tide, in the dark, ready to go. Along with several other TGC crews.

The harbour is statue still. The rowers own it – no-one else is out there.

It was the week leading into Maadi Cup – named for the World War 2 army camp in Egypt. And Maadi Cup named for a conflict – the battle for national secondary school rowing supremacy. TGC has a squad of 32 going to Maadi at Lake Karapiro.

After the North Islands championships, where TGC came fourth out of 95 schools with four golds and a silver – Maadi is very different. South Island schools are headed north. They're mean and very competitive.

'But a great representation from TGC,” says coach Bruce Fettes. 'I would really love to see us medal – I feel confident we will be on the podium for three or four events.”

Back out on the harbour, the coxswain barks. 'Sit ready.” Sixteen sculls dip, hold and then unleash. Eight sets of legs drive back in their seats, eight sets of square athletic young shoulders strike and haul and the boat rockets forward. The acceleration is extraordinary. The sight is exhilarating.

The coxswain, the conductor, and crew are playing in perfect unison. A crisp rating of 30 to 34 strokes a minute. 'And it's the power in each that counts,” says coach Jeff Johnson.

One minute of maximum effort and one minute weight off. Times 10. And then three sets. Out of the dawn, up to the Harbour Bridge, across to Maungatapu and home.

It all seems so regimented, so disciplined, so focused. Until this moment of normality.

'I need to be back by eight,” cries a voice from the middle of the octuple. She's going to Auckland to see Justin Bieber. 'You're sick,” yells back the coach. 'We going too,” says another voice from the shell. 'Then you're all sick,” declares the coach.

Then hardnosed coach bares a soft underbelly. 'They're great kids. I never have to drive them. They drive themselves.” And as the saying goes, these rowers do more before 7am than most kids do in a day.

'Last one,” cries Jeff. 'Let's bury it.” And the shell snakes off around the sandbanks towards the boatshed lights at Memorial Park.

Now Rebecca Frood is revealing a little of her inner self. 'I used to be very skinny and didn't have much confidence. Rowing has built my strength and physique. Now I can stand up, look the world in the eye and say: ‘I am a rower'.”

But it doesn't come without sacrifice. Grace Holland is sitting there in a visor signed by Mahe Drysdale. She carried blades for Mahe once and he thanked her. Nice touch. Drysdale, in Grace's estimations, is up there with Robbie Manson and Zoe Stevenson.

'You can have a social life,” says Grace. Then on reflection she adds: 'Umm – no you can't”. Because last night, Friday night, before most teenagers were headed into town for a night out, Rebecca and Grace were in bed. And not long after most had arrived home from town, Rebecca and Grace were up and headed to the boatshed.

Up about 5am, boatshed not long afterwards and on the water at 5.45am. 'It demands a real discipline,” says Jeff. 'I've been told one of the girls puts her training gear on the night before so she can just tumble out of bed in the morning.”

They can't not turn up, they can't sleep in and they can't be late. A boat, a seat in that boat and a crew depends on it. It demands commitment. Just this morning Jeff had to send a girl home. 'She had turned up and she was obviously ill. She was utterly determined.” That is commitment. An injured knee has kept another girl out of the boat for two months. But she still turns up for training. That is also commitment.

'I am in bed by 8.30pm” says Grace. 'I like the routine, I like the fitness – it keeps you focused. And it's something to get up for every morning.” Good grounding for Grace, who has an eye to business studies at university next year.

Both Grace and Rebecca both have boyfriends. They chuckle. 'It helps they're both rowers,” says Grace. 'They understand. It's a lifestyle and then a sport.”

'Anyone broken?” calls the coach to the crew out on the water. 'We are all broken,” comes back from the shell. 'I can't cotton wool them,” says Jeff. 'We're just days out from Maadi.” The biggest Maadi ever – 2000 kids – 32 from TGC – rowing is in good heart.

So back to the boatshed, breakfast and then back out on the water with makeshift crews because Justin Bieber is more important than Maadi. If only for today.

The TGC rowing club has rich history – and stories to match. Like the time they rowed down to the Mount and stopped for an icecream. 'The tide was going out on the way home,” says Jeff and they sank the boat and had to be rescued.

What's down the track for Grace? 'Coaching perhaps, a world championship would be nice.”

And a lot of lifelong friendships with likeminded people.

The TGC rowing club needs coxswains, because all good coxswains, it seems, want to be good rowers. And they need coaches. Call Phil Holland on 027 6695354 or message him at: tgcr.president@gmail.com