New Zealand Under-23 Team Announced
A squad of 33 athletes have been named in the Under-23 New Zealand Rowing Team to take part in the 2016 World Rowing Under-23 Championships being held in Rotterdam, Netherlands from 21 - 28 August.
The World Rowing Under-23 Championships will be held in a combined regatta with the Junior and Senior World Rowing Championships and provide the young athletes with the unique experience of competing in a large world championship regatta.
The Under-23 athletes have been selected to represent New Zealand after a week-long trial that included 2km ergometer testing and seat racing at Lake Karapiro. Rowing New Zealand will send a total of eight crews made up of an under-23 women’s single scull, women’s lightweight double scull, women’s quadruple scull, men’s quadruple scull, men’s coxed four, men’s coxless four, men’s lightweight quad and women’s eight to Rotterdam.
For the first time ever Rowing New Zealand will send a men’s lightweight quad to an Under-23 World Championships. A women’s eight is also back in the mix after last being raced by a New Zealand crew at the Under-23 level in 2011. Te Awamutu sculler, Luka Ellery will compete in the women’s single scull; the last time New Zealand fielded a women’s single scull the Under-23 World Rowing Championships was in 2007. 2015 Under-23 World Champion in the women’s lightweight double Jackie Kiddle, returns to the fold with new partner, Lucy Jonas.
Alan Cotter, Rowing New Zealand High Performance Director, is pleased with the large team selected for 2016 “The athletes that have been selected make up a strong squad to represent New Zealand at the Under-23 level. We have high expectations of all our New Zealand rowing crews and believe these crews are capable of not only making A finals but also reaching the podium. These athletes are on high performance pathway and are the future of our programme as we look towards Tokyo 2020 and beyond.”
Under-23 representation is considered an important part of the Rowing New Zealand high performance pathway. Many of New Zealand’s top New Zealand rowers began their rowing careers at the junior and Under-23 level and have gone on to be successful elite athletes competing at the World Rowing Championships and Olympic Games. A number of recent elite representatives rowed at the Under-23 level in 2015 including Zoe McBride who went on to become a world champion at the Elite level in the same year. Young rowers Brooke Donoghue and Drikus Conradie were both silver medallists at the 2015 World Rowing Under-23 Championships in the women’s double and men’s coxed four respectively and have made the step up to the Elite level in 2016.
The young New Zealand rowers will compete against hundreds of top Under-23 athletes from around the world at the Championships. To be classed as an Under-23 rower, athletes must be under 23 years of age to compete.
The team will commence training at Lake Karapiro at the Rowing New Zealand High Performance Centre from 30 May in the build up to the Under-23 World Rowing competition.
The Under-23 crews depart for Rotterdam on 12 August for pre competition training prior to the World Senior, Under-23 and Junior Rowing Championships in Rotterdam.
New Zealand Under 23 Rowing Team 2016
To attend World U23 Rowing Championships, Rotterdam
21 - 28 August 2016
Women’s Eight
Jackie Gowler (Aramoho-Wanganui RC, Central RPC)
Beth Ross (Petone RC, Central RPC)
Kristen Froude (Waihopai RC, Southern RPC)
Kelsi Walters (Auckland Grammar RC, Auckland RPC)
Georgia Nugent-O’Leary (Aramoho-Wanganui RC, Central RPC)
Holly Fletcher (Avon RC, Southern RPC)
Davina Waddy (Canterbury RC, Southern RPC)
Ella Greenslade (Wairau RC, Central RPC)
Cox: TBA
John O’Connor (Coach)
Women’s Lightweight Double Scull
Jackie Kiddle (Star BC, Central RPC)
Lucy Jonas (Auckland RC, Auckland RPC)
Dan Kelly (Coach)
Women’s Single Scull
Luka Ellery (Te Awamutu RC, Waikato RPC)
Mark Stallard (Coach)
Women’s Quad
Amy Mills (Auckland RC, Auckland RPC)
Georgia Allen (Waikato RC, Waikato RPC)
Hannah Osborne (Te Awamutu RC, Waikato RPC)
Lexi Kerr (Auckland RC, Auckland RPC)
Mark Stallard (Coach)
Men’s Coxless Four
Tom Jenkins (Waikato RC, Waikato RPC)
James McAnallen (Petone RC, Central RPC)
Tom Clyma (Canterbury RC, Southern RPC)
Hugo Elworthy (Canterbury RC, Southern RPC)
Tom Stannard (Coach)
Men’s Coxed Four
Phillip Wilson (Petone RC, Central RPC)
Charlie Rogerson (Tauranga RC, Waikato RPC)
Cameron Webster (North Shore RC, Auckland RPC)
Martin O’Leary (Waikato RC, Waikato RPC)
Sam Bosworth (Cox) (Avon RC, Southern RPC)
Tom Stannard (Coach)
Lightweight Men’s Quad
Ben van Dalen (Cambridge RC, Waikato RPC)
Bryce Abernethy (Otago RC, Southern RPC)
Jarred van Vianen (Canterbury RC, Southern RPC)
Harrison Somerville (Blenheim RC, Central RPC)
Dan Kelly (Coach)
Men’s Quad
Jordan Parry (Tauranga RC, Waikato RPC)
Cameron Crampton (Timaru RC, Southern RPC)
Olly Stephens (Nelson RC)
Jack O’Leary (Picton RC, Central RPC)
Dan Kelly (Coach)
Team Manager
Judith Hamilton