It trailed Otago by a point late on day two, but a strong performance in the eight gave it the Mainland interprovincial crown at Lake Ruataniwha at the weekend.
It emerged with 45 points, 12 ahead of the defending champion Otago team.
It was Canterbury’s second title in three years, although that followed four years of Otago dominance.
Points are distributed for top three placings — five, three and one given for first, second and third respectively.
Otago and Canterbury were tied on 25 points at the halfway point.
Otago claimed first-place points in three of those races.
Sophie Smith, Mackenzie Ealson, Holly Dalzell and Bella Sarginson won the under-20 women’s quadruple sculls.
Smith and Ealson then joined Siena Snow and April Linares-Fontona to win the under-20 women’s coxless four, while Bradley Leydon, Ben Mason, Mark Taylor and Thomas Cummack won the open men’s coxless four.
Otago went ahead early on Sunday as it dominated the under-20 single sculls races.
Pipi Horan and Smith finished first and second respectively in the women’s race.
Reuben Cook, Angus Kenny and Jack Pearson then completed a trifecta for the province in the men’s race.
Cook and Kenny added a win for Otago in the under-20 double sculls.
But Canterbury finished stronger to win both the eights races, and finished second in the men’s.
Injuries hampered the Otago challenge late on Sunday and it had to settle for a third in the men’s eights.
