The men’s rowing team won nine of 10 races at the Head of the Rideau regatta in Ottawa on Sunday.

The regatta featured crews from McGill University, University of Ottawa, Carleton University and Trent University. Gaels rower Rami Maassarani said the team’s success at the Head of the Rideau isn’t an indicator of their strength because perennial contenders weren’t competing.

“Brock and Western usually have pretty strong teams,” he said. “We don’t really have an idea of how fast everyone is until we show up to the same regatta.”

The Gaels improved on their 2010 results, where they won only five of the nine events. Maassarani said the men’s team have benefitted from a demanding off-season training schedule of rowing and dryland training.

“Most of the teams have been working pretty hard over the winter and the summer and those are the months that really count,” he said.

The Gaels compete at the Head of the Trent regatta — traditionally considered the most important regatta before the OUA regatta on Oct. 29 — this weekend. The Brock Badgers and the Western Mustangs will both be in attendance.

“The first real test … is going to be this weekend,” he said. “Every team shows up and means business.”

The Head of the Trent will also be the women’s rowing team’s first event of the season. Maassarani said he expects last year’s OUA champions to perform well.

“They’re feeling good about this season,” he said. “They’re defending champs so people are going to be going after them hard.”