2019 Rowing NZ Elite Team Announcement
Each year Rowing NZ selects teams to represent New Zealand at World Rowing Cup and World Rowing Championship regattas, and the 2019 Rowing NZ Elite team was named today at an announcement at Lake Karapiro. These athletes have been selected to represent New Zealand following a 7 day trial including erg testing and seat racing.
The main international competitions for the Rowing NZ High Performance programme are the Olympic Games (held every 4 years with the next Olympic Games held in Tokyo, 2020), the World Rowing Cup series, and the annual World Rowing Championships. The World Rowing Cup series comprises of three regattas held each year with overall winners being determined by points that are awarded to the top finishing boats at each event. New Zealand routinely attends World Rowing Cup II and III.
Today’s announcement follows on from Rowing NZ’s announcement in early March confirming the 2019 elite single scull boats will be occupied by Emma Twigg and Robbie Manson, both coached by Mike Rodger.
The 51 strong team will remain at Lake Karapiro to train before departing overseas to contest the 2019 World Rowing Cup II in Poznan, Poland in June and World Rowing Cup III in Rotterdam, Netherlands in July. Confirmation of the World Rowing Championships team will be announced after World Rowing Cup III.
Today’s announcement in both the women’s and men’s programme includes a combination of returning experienced athletes alongside exciting new talent identified within previous U23 international campaigns.
Rowing NZ Chief Executive Simon Peterson commented after today’s announcement, ‘We had a wake-up call in 2018 with our performances at the World Rowing Championships, but with our current athletes, returning athletes and depth of our U23 team, we have incredibly experienced athletes paired with exciting new talent. This has given us both confidence and a new outlook heading into this year’s international season.’’
Recently appointed as GM Performance (formerly HP Director) through to Dec 2020, Judith Hamilton today acknowledged a successful summer season. “Rowing NZ’s selectors and I have been extremely impressed by the determination shown by our named athletes throughout our summer squad training period and recent trial process. Being only 15 months out from Tokyo, our athletes and coaches are focusing on the 2019 international season with an eye on our Olympic campaign next year.’’
The 2019 team sees some new talent joining with Sam Jones and Ben Taylor joining the men’s sweep squad after taking silver in the men’s coxed four at the 2018 World Rowing U23 Championships. Matthew MacDonald, Tom Mackintosh and Thomas Russel also join the men’s sweep squad after their own success in their 2018 U23 campaign in the men’s four, where they took bronze. Sam Voss joins the women’s reserve team after a phenomenal performance at the 2018 World Rowing U23 Championships where she took gold in the women’s single sculls. Voss’ gold medal followed a severe ankle injury in April 2017 from which she made a remarkable recovery.
Brooke Donoghue and Olivia Loe were announced as 2019’s women’s double scull and will be coached by James Coote. Donoghue found success in rowing at an early age and in 2014 aged only 20, was part of the bronze medal winning U23 women’s quad crew, and later went on to win a silver medal at the 2015 World U23 Championships in the double sculls.
Selected in the 2010 New Zealand Junior team, Loe’s earliest success was at the 2012 World Rowing U23 Championships where her crew won bronze in the women’s quad. In 2014 Loe was selected into the women’s four who won silver at the World Rowing U23 Championships, alongside Donoghue.
2017 saw Donoghue and Loe first move into the women's double scull. The two had a perfect international season, winning every race including gold at World Cup II, Henley Royal Regatta, World Cup III, and being crowned World Champions at the 2017 World Rowing Championships in Sarasota, Florida. In 2018 Donoghue and Loe returned to the double, taking gold at World Cup II and III, and Silver at the World Rowing Championships in Plovdiv, Bulgaria.
2018’s women’s pair duo and world best time holders in the women’s pair and four, Grace Prendergast and Kerri Gowler have been selected as 2019’s women’s pair and will be coached by Gary Hay. Prendergast and Gowler took silver in the 2018 World Rowing Championships. Very proud to continue representing New Zealand in the women’s pair, Prendergast commented, ‘’Kerri and I work incredibly well together and we’re both so happy to be selected into the same boat for the 2019 season. We learnt a lot from our last season together – we both have different strengths in the boat and having rowed together for a few years now, we’re very in sync with each other and can use this knowledge to our advantage in training and racing.’’
Zoe McBride and Jackie Kiddle were named as the women’s lightweight double. McBride is the current World Best Time holder in the lightweight women’s single scull, and together with Sophie Mackenzie, won gold in the lightweight women’s double at the World Rowing U23 Championships in 2014. Kiddle and McBride competed in the lightweight single in 2018 where the pair took silver in World Cup III and placed sixth at the World Rowing Championships. McBride and Kiddle will be coached by Gary Hay.
Sophie Mackenzie returned to Rowing NZ’s summer squad in October 2018 after spending time away from the sport since the Rio 2016 Olympics where she placed fourth in the lightweight women’s double. Mackenzie was today announced in the women’s lightweight single.
The 2019 women’s sweep squad will include Beth Ross, Davina Waddy, Ella Greenslade, Emma Dyke, Eve Macfarlane, Jackie Gowler, Kelsey Bevan, Kelsi Walters, Kirstyn Goodger, Lucy Spoors, Phoebe Spoors and Ruby Tew. Eve Macfarlane has returned from retirement post the Rio 2016 Olympics. Rio was Macfarlane’s second Olympics, having previously competed at the London 2012 Olympics in the women’s quad.
The women’s sweep squad will train alongside each other at Lake Karapiro throughout the coming months, with the squad forming both the women’s eight and women’s four come World Cup II and III. Final crew combinations will be confirmed prior to the team’s departure to Europe in mid-June. The squad will be coached by Dan Kelly.
Sam Voss and Hannah Osborne will form the women’s reserve team and will be coached by James Coote.
2018’s men’s pair partners Tom Murray and Michael Brake both suffered serious injuries prior to their departure for World Cup II and III last year, but have returned to full health and were both selected into this year’s boat. Murray and Brake will be coached by Gary Roberts.
Cameron Crampton, Isaac Grainger, Jordan Parry, Lewis Hollows and Nathan Flannery will form the men’s quad sculling squad and will train alongside each other at Lake Karapiro throughout the coming months, with the final crew being confirmed prior to the team’s departure to Europe in mid-June. The squad will be coached by Mark Stallard.
Chris Harris and John Storey return to the men’s double sculls under coach Calvin Ferguson. Their individual rowing careers include World Rowing Cup medals as well as competing in two Olympic Games each. Harris and Storey took bronze at the 2018 World Rowing Championships, after returning to New Zealand and midway through their domestic season, both became first-time fathers within weeks of each other earlier this year.
Matthew Dunham and Harrison Somerville were named in the lightweight men’s double. Dunham took fourth place at the 2018 World Rowing Championships in Plovdiv, Bulgaria alongside Ben van Dalen, while Somerville took gold in the men’s lightweight single at the 2018 World Rowing University Championships in Shanghai, China.
Ben van Dalen was named as the lightweight men’s single.Dunham, Somerville and van Dalen will be coached by Calvin Ferguson.
Eight-time former national single sculls champion and two time Olympic champion Mahé Drysdale joins the men’s sweep squad of 14 athletes, alongside Anthony Allen, Ben Taylor, Brook Robertson, Ian Seymour, James Lassche, Shaun Kirkham, Matt MacDonald, Phillip Wilson, Sam Jones, Stephen Jones, Thomas Russel, Tom Mackintosh and Hamish Bond. The men’s sweep squad will train alongside each other at Lake Karapiro throughout the coming months, with the final selected eight being confirmed prior to the team’s departure to Europe in mid-June. Athletes from the men’s sweep squad will also make up New Zealand’s men’s four for the 2019 season.
Ben Taylor, Sam Jones, Thomas Russel and Tom Mackintosh have also being previously announced as New Zealand’s men’s four for the 2019 World Rowing U23 Championships and will not be available to compete at World Rowing Cup II and III.
‘’Coming through the ranks of rowing I always admired the feats of the 1972 eight. One of my early coaches was Tony Hurt who stroked that boat and showed us his medal. That has always stuck with me. The eight is a very different boat to the single - there are a lot more moving parts and inherent risk, but the dream is certainly worth a shot. We have a great bunch of keen, young men and I am looking forward to working with them and teaming up with Bondy for the first time. We have a team capable of success, now we just have to go and do it.’’ said Mahé Drysdale of his selection into the men’s sweep squad.
After an impressive two years spent pursuing cycling, with a bronze medal at the Commonwealth Games in 2018 and more recently a national record in the individual pursuit, Bond re-joined Rowing NZ’s summer squad in early March. Upon his selection into the men’s sweep squad, Bond commented, “When I returned to rowing in early March I was clear that I had achieved everything I set out to in the men’s pair. Representing New Zealand in the men’s eight is a challenge that I’m eager to undertake, and being selected into Rowing NZ’s men’s sweep squad is the first milestone towards that challenge. Being part of a bigger crew and working with some of the talented athletes named into the sweep squad alongside me today is incredibly exciting, and I’m looking forward to getting stuck straight into our winter training block ahead of World Cup II and III.’’
The men’s sweep squad crew will be coached by Gary Roberts and Tony O’Connor. Tony joins Rowing NZ from Christ’s College in Christchurch where he was both a teacher and a rowing coach, and has a strong rowing career with significant international experience, including competing for Ireland at two Olympic Games, 5 medals at the World Rowing Championships in the men’s lightweight pair, and a record for the most senior Irish Rowing Championship wins. Tony and rowing partner Neville Maxwell have also previously held the World Best Time in the men’s lightweight pair, a record set in 1994. Tony later represented Ireland as part of their coaching team, coaching crews to the World Rowing Championships in 2003 and the Athens 2004 Olympics, and more recently coached the Rowing NZ Junior men’s four ahead of the 2017 World Rowing Junior Championships, where his crew took silver.
Caleb Shepherd and Sam Bosworth were announced as team coxswains. Shepherd has coxed the New Zealand men’s eight in recent years while Bosworth was named as the first ever male coxswain of a female crew in New Zealand in 2017, and also coxed the women’s crew in 2018.
2019 Rowing NZ Elite Team
To contest 2019 World Rowing Cup II in Poznan, Poland 21-23 June and World Rowing Cup III in Rotterdam, Netherlands 12-14 July.
WOMEN’S TEAM
Women’s Single Scull – announced 7 March
Emma Twigg (Hawkes Bay Rowing Club, Waikato RPC)
Mike Rodger (coach)
Women’s Coxless Pair
Kerri Gowler (Aramoho Whanganui Rowing Club, Central RPC)
Grace Prendergast (Avon Rowing Club, Southern RPC)
Gary Hay (coach)
Women’s Double Scull
Olivia Loe (Avon Rowing Club, Southern RPC)
Brooke Donoghue (Waikato Rowing Club, Waikato RPC)
James Coote (coach)
Women’s Lightweight Double Scull
Zoe McBride (Nelson Rowing Club, Central RPC)
Jackie Kiddle (Star Boating Club, Central RPC)
Gary Hay (coach)
Women’s Lightweight Single Scull
Sophie Mackenzie (Wairau Rowing Club, Central RPC)
Gary Hay (coach)
Women’s Sweep Squad
Beth Ross (Petone Rowing Club, Central RPC)
Davina Waddy (Canterbury Rowing Club, Southern RPC)
Ella Greenslade (Wairau Rowing Club, Central RPC)
Emma Dyke (Timaru Rowing Club, Southern RPC)
Eve Macfarlane (Canterbury Rowing Club, Southern RPC)
Jackie Gowler (Aramoho Whanganui Rowing Club, Central RPC)
Kelsey Bevan (Counties-Manukau Rowing Club, Auckland RPC)
Kelsi Walters (Counties-Manukau Rowing Club, Auckland RPC)
Kirstyn Goodger (Wairau Rowing Club, Central RPC)
Lucy Spoors (Canterbury Rowing Club, Southern RPC)
Phoebe Spoors (Canterbury Rowing Club, Southern RPC)
Ruby Tew (Star Boating Club, Central RPC)
Dan Kelly (coach)
Women’s Reserves
Sam Voss (Cambridge Rowing Club, Waikato RPC)
Hannah Osborne (Te Awamutu Rowing Club, Waikato RPC)
James Coote (coach)
MEN’S TEAM
Men’s Single Scull – announced 7 March
Robbie Manson (Wairau Rowing Club, Central RPC)
Mike Rodger (coach)
Men’s Coxless Pair
Tom Murray (Blenheim Rowing Club, Central RPC)
Michael Brake (North Shore Rowing Club, Auckland RPC)
Gary Roberts (coach)
Men’s Double Scull
Chris Harris (Aramoho Whanganui Rowing Club, Central RPC)
John Storey (Avon Rowing Club, Southern RPC)
Calvin Ferguson (coach)
Men’s Lightweight Double Scull
Harrison Somerville (Blenheim Rowing Club, Central RPC)
Matt Dunham (Cambridge Rowing Club, Waikato RPC)
Calvin Ferguson (coach)
Men’s Lightweight Single Scull
Ben van Dalen (Cambridge Rowing Club, Waikato RPC)
Calvin Ferguson (coach)
Men’s Quad Sculling Squad
Cameron Crampton (Timaru Rowing Club, Southern RPC)
Isaac Grainger (Auckland Rowing Club, Auckland RPC)
Jordan Parry (Tauranga Rowing Club, Waikato RPC)
Lewis Hollows (West End Rowing Club, Auckland RPC)
Nathan Flannery (Union Christchurch Rowing Club, Southern RPC)
Mark Stallard (coach)
Men’s Sweep Squad
Anthony Allen (Waikato Rowing Club, Waikato RPC)
*Ben Taylor (Avon Rowing Club, Southern RPC)
Brook Robertson (Nelson Rowing Club, Central RPC)
Hamish Bond (North End Rowing Club)
Ian Seymour (Wairau Rowing Club, Central RPC)
James Lassche (Avon Rowing Club, Southern RPC)
Mahe Drysdale (West End Rowing Club, Auckland RPC)
Matt MacDonald (North Shore Rowing Club, Auckland RPC)
Phillip Wilson (Petone Rowing Club, Central RPC)
*Sam Jones (North Shore Rowing Club, Auckland RPC)
Shaun Kirkham (Waikato Rowing Club, Waikato RPC)
Stephen Jones (West End Rowing Club, Auckland RPC)
*Thomas Russel (Avon Rowing Club, Southern RPC)
*Tom Mackintosh (Avon Rowing Club, Southern RPC)
Tony O’Connor & Gary Roberts (coaches)
(*to race World Rowing Championships only)
Team Coxswains
Caleb Shepherd (Waikato Rowing Club, Waikato RPC)
Sam Bosworth (Avon Rowing Club, Southern RPC)
Team Managers
Jan Taylor
Sonya Walker