Otago University regained the big prize when the men's eight won the Hebberley Shield at Lake Karapiro last weekend.
The shield was first contested in the late 1920s and it has always been the feature race in university rowing.
Otago University's eight-year reign came to an end in 2009 when it was beaten by Waikato. Auckland won it last year.
It was a tense battle between Otago and Auckland over the traditional two-mile (3.2km) course this year.
The Otago eight of Scott Green, Andrew Potter, Corey McAffrey, Liam Kettle, Adrian Riepen, Bryce Abernethey, Ryan Kelleher, Andrew Annear and cox Sachin Arulambalam were half a length clear of Auckland at the finish. The winning time was 11min 23.78sec. The Otago University B crew was third.
The 92-strong Otago team retained the Ashes Trophy for the 14th year in a row with 140 points, followed by Auckland (61) and Canterbury (54).
The trophy was donated to the annual New Zealand university championships by the Otago University club in 1999. It contains the ashes from the old clubrooms that burned down that year.
The Otago University women won the Tamaki Cup for the championship eight for the seventh year in a row. It was first contested in 1956.
Laura Tester, Ruby Tew, Rachel Kennedy, Holly Fletcher, Jessica Hayes, Kirsty Thompson, Lauren Clark, Morgan Shepard and cox Hannah Kennedy beat Auckland by 27sec, in a time of 13min 9.85sec.
The Otago women's novice crews finished first and second in both the four and the eight. The men's novice eight was second to Canterbury.
The Otago University elite women's eight has been invited to compete against United States and English universities in three regattas in China in July.
Otago University will also host a visiting St Petersburg University eight at two regattas in Dunedin and one in Queenstown in late September.
The South Island under-18 team won the Menzies Cup, beating the North Island by 76 points to 64 at Lake Karapiro at the weekend.
Emma Winders and Anna O'Leary were part of the successful women's sculling crew that beat the North Island in the junior quadruple sculls by 6sec in a time of 7min 46.02sec.
Kate Hayman (Ashburton) won the junior women's single sculls from Winders with a time of 8min 47.02sec. Winders was timed at 8min 51.85sec.
