Paver was educated at
The King's School in Sydney where he took up rowing. He matriculated in 1970. He rowed at university with the
UNSW Rowing Club (UNSW) and his senior club rowing was from the
Sydney Rowing Club. At the 1971 and 1973 Australian Intervarsity Championships he rowed in the UNSW eight. Paver first made state selection for New South Wales in 1972 in the four seat of the men's eight which contested and won the
King's Cup at the Interstate Regatta within the
Australian Rowing Championships. He rowed in New South Wales King's Cup crews in 1973, 1975, 1976 and those crews of 1975 and 1976 were victorious. In 1974 in SRC colours Paver contested both the coxed and coxless four titles at the Australian Rowing Championships in composite New South Wales crews. In 1975 and 1976 he contested the coxed four championship winning that national title in 1976. ==International representative rowing==