The University of Otago took the top spot in the year-long International Universities Rowing Regattas after a good showing in Guangzhou at the weekend in which its women's quad won gold and its men's eight won silver.
They competed against 16 universities from all over the world in the China series, including Oxford, Cambridge, Harvard and Yale.
The recent successes secured the title for university after previous wins by the squad in Chengdu, Hangzhou and Changsha in July and August.
The rowers returned to Dunedin yesterday morning.
Club manager Glen Sinclair said the feat was ''pretty amazing''.
It was the first time the university had won overall in the six years of the competition. However, its women's eight was unbeaten in that time, he said.
Two of the athletes from the women's quad at the weekend had only just finished high school.
Former St Hilda's pupils Gabby Hunter (18) and Josie Cook (18) were allowed to join the programme three months ago as they were set to attend the university next year.
The women won their race ''convincingly'', Sinclair said.
There were many reasons for the university's rowing strength, he said.
''We've got very good coaching. Also, over the last few months we've had excellent water. The harbour's just been amazing, so we can go out and get those long, hard kilometres in the morning.
The athletes had an attitude of ''winning and success'', he said.
For the Guangzhou trip the team was accompanied by Olympian Alastair Bond, younger brother of Olympic gold-medallist Hamish Bond.
Sinclair said Bond's presence helped show the younger athletes what they could achieve.
