Ben Taylor
Ben Taylor started rowing in 2013 at St Andrew’s College and Avon Rowing Club in Christchurch.
In 2016, Ben went undefeated in his campaign with the South Island Team, in the U18 North vs South regatta.
Fast forward to a successful Maadi Cup Regatta in 2017, at which he won the U18 Four and the Maadi Cup Eight, along with Bronze in the pair. Ben was offered a New Zealand Junior trial and was selected to represent New Zealand in the Junior Men’s Coxless Four at the 2017 World Rowing Junior Championships in Trakai, Lithuania. The crew picked up a Silver medal just a few seconds behind a very fast British crew.
The following year Ben rowed for Southern RPC and was later selected in the U23 Men’s Coxed Four, which went on to claim a Silver medal at the U23 World Rowing Championships in Poznan, Poland. He was then invited to trial for the Elite team for the World Rowing Championships in Plovdiv, Bulgaria. He narrowly missed selection but was taken on as a travelling reserve in the Men’s Pair.
Ben came back to New Zealand and joined the 2018/2019 Elite Summer Squad. After performing well in the domestic season and at trials, Ben was named in the 2019 U23 Men’s Coxless Four. Ben and the crew went on to claim Silver, just 0.8sec behind Great Britain who claimed Gold. Ben joined the Elite Squad overseas, where he raced the Men’s Coxless Four at the 2019 World Rowing Championships in Ottenshein, Austria, claiming 14th place.
Ben decided to take a break from rowing after this, where he carried on with his other sport he’s passionate about - Rugby. Ben was selected to play in the Redbull Ignite 7’s National Tournament. He carried on playing club footy after this and started his building apprenticeship up in Auckland for the next couple of years.
Ben made his comeback to rowing at the end of 2021 at North Shore Rowing Club, where he went on to get selected as Reserve for the 2022 Elite Men’s Squad.
In 2023, Ben won his first red coat (Premier National Title) at the 2023 NZ Rowing Championships, winning Gold in the Men’s Coxless Four (Boss Rooster) with Avon Rowing Club. He then went on to claim Silver in the Men’s Premier Pair with fellow St Andrews College Old Boy and crewmate - Thomas Russel. After some outstanding performances and finding his groove again in the rowing boat, Ben has been selected as part of the 2023 Elite Men’s Sweep Squad, coached by Mike Rodger. Ben teamed up with Thomas Russel again - but at the 2023 World Rowing Cup III in Lucerne, Switzerland. The duo went on to claim 12th overall in a very competitive field.
Off the water, Ben is completing a Bachelor of Construction, specialising in Construction Management through Massey University.