Rowing New Zealand today announced a squad of 10 boats to take part in the Senior World Championships at Munich on August 26th.
The elite boats which will be run with a view to taking part in Munich and beyond in the important pre-Olympic year of 2007 will be the Men's Single Scull, the Men's Double Scull, the Men's Coxless Four, Men's Coxless Pair, Men's Lightweight Double Scull and Lightweight Single Scull, the Women's Double Scull, Women's Coxless Pair, Women's Eight and for the first time in nearly a decade - the Men's Eight.
There is an historical significance for this boat - which will be coached by Mark Stallard - as the last time New Zealand sent an eight to Munich was for the 1972 Olympic Games, and they won it. High Performance Manager Andrew Matheson, however, says that although the announcement of a Men's Eight is significant, it is a long term project.
"It's great that we have the strength in depth to announce an eight for the international season, and what is significant is that it contains many younger athletes who have entered the elite programme from our successful Under 23 structure. Of course we want them to do well, but our view is that the eight is a long term goal."
"The ergometer testing indicated we have athletes with the 'engines' inside them to go fast, but obviously there remains a lot of work to be done."
Young charger Nathan Cohen is named in the Men's Elite Double Scull, another athlete to make the step up from Under 23s. He will be partnered by Matt Trott. The Evers Swindell twins are once again selected for the Women's Double Scull. Mahé Drysdale will be the in the Single Scull, while former champions Nathan Twaddle and George Bridgewater and Juliette Haigh and Nick Coles once again take the seats of the Men's and Women's Coxless Pairs. The team was also announced for the Under 23 World Championships at Strathclyde in Scotland commencing on July 26th.
Elite Team:
Women's Double Scull:
• Caroline Evers-Swindell
• Georgina Evers-Swindell
Women's Coxless Pair:
• Nicola Coles
• Juliette Haigh
Women's Eight:
• Erin Tolhurst
• Fiona Paterson
• Paula Twining
• Nicki-Lee Crawford
• Rebecca Scown
• Emma Feathery
• Simone Hudson
• Tamsin Gilbert
• Candice Bardsley (coxswain)
Men's Single Scull:
• Mahé Drysdale
Men's Coxless Pair:
• George Bridgewater
• Nathan Twaddle
Men's Double Scull:
• Nathan Cohen
• Matthew Trott
Men's Coxless Four:
• Hamish Bond
• Eric Murray
• James Dallinger
• Carl Meyer
Men's Eight:
• Carl Finlay
• Ben Scott
• Dane Boswell
• Robert Hellstrom
• Selwyn Cleland
• Paul Gerritsen
• Steven Cottle
• Graeme Hill
• Daniel Quigley (coxswain)
Men's Lightweight Double Scull:
• Peter Taylor
• Graham Oberlin-Brown
Men's Lightweight Single Scull:
• Duncan Grant
Men's Lightweight Single Scull:
• Storm Uru
Men's Reserve:
• Peter Benny TBC
Women's Reserve:
• Jaime Nielsen
Team Managers:
• John Howard
• Jan Taylor
Under 23 Team:
Under 23 Women's Single Scull:
• Emma Twigg
Under 23 Women's Quad Scull:
• Anna Stantiall
• Genevieve Armstrong
• Harriet Austin
• Rosslyn Knox
Under 23 Women's Double Scull:
• Anna Reymer
• Emma McGeorge
Under 23 Women's Lightweight Double Scull:
• Sarah Alexander
• Gabrielle Rogers
Under 23 Men's Single Scull:
• Joseph Sullivan
Under 23 Men's Coxless Four:
• David Eade
• Jared Pehi
• Ben Hammond
• Chris Harris
Under 23 Team Manager:
• Roger White-Parsons TBC