After a week of intensive trials in wet conditions at Lake Karapiro, Rowing New Zealand has announced a large team of 18 boats and 55 athletes – including both a men’s eight and women’s eight – for its attack on the medals at the forthcoming World Rowing Championships, which will, of course, be held on the team’s home water between October 31st and November 7th.
The world champion men’s pair of Eric Murray and Hamish Bond, the lightweight world champion double scull of Peter Taylor and Storm Uru, the women’s pair of Rebecca Scown and Juliette Haigh, the heavyweight double scull of Nathan Cohen and Joseph Sullivan all remain unchanged and the single sculling group of Mahe Drysdale (heavyweight world champion), Duncan Grant (lightweight world champion) and Emma Twigg are joined for the world championships by lightweight single sculler Louise Ayling and adaptive athlete Danny McBride from Tirau, who recorded a personal best this week in trials over the 1,000 metre distance for adaptive athletes.
With Anna Reymer out of the running with injury, Fi Paterson is joined by Emma Feathery, who won a bronze medal with Rebecca Scown in the rowing pair in 2009. A women’s lightweight double scull of Julia Edward and Lucy Strack will also compete – this crew jumping up to elites after securing an impressive silver in the Under-23 world championships.
Much of the trial has been focussed on deciding the most appropriate boats for the up and coming athletes in the men’s and women’s squads – who have excelled this year in international sweep oar rowing. Second and fourth for the men’s fours in Lucerne and a silver medal for the women’s Under 23 group at the Under 23 world championships a fortnight ago gave the selectors a challenge to find the best boats, and after a week of exhausting trials they have opted for a men’s four, a men’s eight, a women’s four and a women’s eight. This group includes the very experienced Paula Twining (in the eight) but is otherwise made up entirely of athletes who will form the basis of the New Zealand rowing teams of future seasons.
There is one change to the men’s four which finished second in Lucerne, with Sean O’Neill being replaced by Simon Watson, who was one of the top performers in the sweep oar development group but who was unable to travel to Europe for the World Cup season as he was rehabilitating from a hip operation. His recovery and training in New Zealand resulted in a superb series of performances in an exceptionally tightly packed and competitive group.
O’Neill moves to the men’s eight, along with Ben Hammond, Ian Seymour, Tyson Williams and Chris Harris from the crew which finished fourth in the four in Lucerne, and they are joined by the impressive spare man from Europe Michael Arms, and two of the crew from the Under 23 coxed four, Tobias Wehr-Candler and Adam Tripp. The cox of the crew for Karapiro is still to be determined.
A women’s four has also been announced. This will be made up of Laura Fischer, Harriet Austin, Genevieve Behrent and Robyn Munro, the latter another former spare who excelled in the trials this week.
The men’s quad has one change – with Robbie Manson knocking out Paul Gerritsen to line up with Matthew Trott, Olympic bronze medallist Nathan Twaddle and John Storey. After a disappointing season in Europe, the women’s quad is entirely new and is another crew of young and up and coming talent, with Sarah Gray, Fiona Bourke, Genevieve Armstrong and Linda Matthews from Star Club in Wellington surprising everyone by jumping up the rankings from Under 23 non-travelling reserve to making a seat in one of the top elite crews.
Completing the team are experienced lightweight athletes Graham Oberlin Brown, a twice world champion in Under 23s, and James Lassche, will race the lightweight pair at Karapiro.
2010 World Rowing Championships NZ Team
Women’s Single Scull
- Emma Twigg (Auckland RPC, Hawkes Bay RC)
- Dick Tonks (Coach)
Women’s Double Scull
- Emma Feathery (Auckland RPC, West End RC)
- Fiona Paterson (Central RPC, Wairau RC)
- Gary Hay (Coach)
Women’s Coxless Pair
- Rebecca Scown (Central RPC, Union Wanganui RC)
- Juliette Haigh (Auckland RPC, West End RC)
- John Robinson (Coach)
Women’s Quad Scull
- Linda Matthews (Central RPC, Star BC)
- Genevieve Armstrong (Waikato RPC, Tauranga RC)
- Fiona Bourke (Southern RPC, Otago University RC)
- Sarah Gray (Waikato RPC, Waikato RC)
- Dick Tonks (Coach)
Women’s Coxless Four
- Harriet Austin (Waikato RPC, Cambridge RC)
- Genevieve Behrent (Southern RPC, Waihopai RC)
- Robyn Munro (Central RPC, Nelson RC)
- Laura Fischer (Waikato RPC, Rotorua RC)
- Ian Wright (Coach)
Women’s Eight
- Kelsey Bevan (Auckland RPC, Counties Manukau RC)
- Tarsha Williams (Central RPC, Wairau RC)
- Hayley Hoogeveen (Waikato RPC, Hauraki Plains RC)
- Jess Loe (Southern RPC, Avon RC)
- Ali Burnside (Southern RPC, Canterbury RC)
- Pene Smith (Waikato RPC, Waikato RC)
- Paula Twining (Waikato RPC, Waikato RC)
- Louise Trappitt (Central RPC, Wairau RC)
- Cox: Francie Turner (Southern RPC)
- Ian Wright (Coach)
Women’s Lightweight Single Scull
- Louise Ayling (Central RPC, Waihopai RC)
- Gary Hay (Coach)
Women’s Lightweight Double Scull
- Julia Edward (Waikato RPC, Rotorua RC)
- Lucy Strack (Southern RPC, North End RC)
- Gary Hay (Coach)
Reserves
- Lucy Spoors (Southern RPC, Canterbury RC)
- Zoe Stevenson (Waikato RPC, Tauranga RC)
- Dick Tonks (Coach)
- Dave Hill (Assistant Coach)
Men’s Single Scull
- Mahe Drysdale (Auckland RPC, West End RC)
- Dick Tonks (Coach)
Men’s Adaptive Single Scull
- Danny McBride (Cambridge RC)
- Dave Lazarus (Coach)
Men’s Coxless Pair
- Hamish Bond (Southern RPC, North End RC)
- Eric Murray (Waikato RPC, Waikato RC)
- Dick Tonks (Coach)
Men’s Double Scull
- Nathan Cohen (Southern RPC, Invercargill RC)
- Joseph Sullivan (Central RPC, Picton RC)
- Calvin Ferguson (Coach)
Men’s Lightweight Single Scull
- Duncan Grant (Central RPC, Wairau RC)
- Calvin Ferguson (Coach)
Men’s Lightweight Double Scull
- Peter Taylor (Auckland RPC, Auckland RC)
- Storm Uru (Southern RPC, Waihopai RC)
- Calvin Ferguson (Coach)
Men’s Lightweight Coxless Pair
- James Lassche (Southern RPC, Avon RC)
- Graham Oberlin-Brown (Waikato RPC, Te Awamutu RC)
- John Robinson (Coach)
Men’s Coxless Four
- David Eade (Waikato RPC, Waikato RC)
- Jade Uru (Southern RPC, Waihopai RC)
- Hamish Burson (Central RPC, Wairau RC)
- Simon Watson (Waikato RPC, Waikato RC)
- Dave Thompson (Coach)
Men’s Quad
- Rob Manson (Central RPC, Wairau RC)
- Matthew Trott (Southern RPC, Canterbury RC)
- Nathan Twaddle (Auckland RPC, Auckland RC)
- John Storey (Southern RPC, Avon RC)
- Mike Rodger (Coach)
Men’s Eight
- Ben Hammond (Central RPC, Aramoho Wanganui RC)
- Chris Harris (Central RPC, Aramoho Wanganui RC)
- Tyson Williams (Waikato RPC, Waikato RC)
- Ian Seymour (Central RPC, Wairau RC)
- Tobias Wehr-Candler (Waikato RPC, Waikato RC)
- Adam Tripp (Auckland RPC, Hawkes Bay RC)
- Sean O’Neill (Central RPC, Wairau RC)
- Michael Arms (Auckland RPC, Auckland Grammar RC)
- Cox : Ivan Pavich (Waikato RPC and Waikato RC)
- Coaches: Dave Thompson, Mark Stallard
Reserves
- Tufi Sele (Central RPC and Wellington RC)
- Paul Gerritsen (Waikato RPC and Waikato RC)
Team Manager
- Jan Taylor
