New Zealand Rowing announces 2013 team

Emma Twigg is back in the women’s single sculls, the boat she finished fourth in at the London Olympic Games. Twigg spent some of the local rowing season in the women’s pair with London Olympic bronze medallist Rebecca Scown, but selectors chose instead to put Kayla Pratt in the boat with Scown.

Pratt replaces Scown’s Olympic partner, Juliette Haigh who retired late last year and she comes to the pair with the credentials of being the reigning under-23 Champion in the pair.

Adding credibility to the women’s crews is the decision by New Zealand’s former head coach, the uber successful Dick Tonks, to coach the women.  Tonks will be directly responsible for the new women’s double sculls combination of Zoe Stevenson and London Olympian from the quad Fiona Bourke. Tonks will also coach the women’s quadruple sculls which has retained just one member of the London Olympic crew. Sarah Gray has remained.

A new-look women’s eight will be coached by Dick Tonks with Pratt’s under-23 champion partner, Kelsey Bevan in the mix. The majority of the crew is made up of last year’s under-23 team members as well as London Olympian from the women’s quad, Eve Macfarlane.

The lightweight women’s double sculls has one seat change from the London Olympic combination. Lucy Strack replaces Louise Ayling who will race in the lightweight single sculls. Julia Edward remains in the double.

Newly appointed head men’s sweep coach, Noel Donaldson (formerly of Australia) will oversee the Olympic Champion men’s pair of Hamish Bond and Eric Murray. Donaldson will also coach the men’s four. Just one member of the London Olympic men’s four remains the same. Jade Uru has consistently been in the four since 2009.

The men’s quadruple sculls could be the boat that will turn heads. Olympic Champion from the double, Nathan Cohen is in the boat and is joined by his brother, Hayden. Hayden has already notched up some fine credentials with an under-23 champion title in 2012 from the men’s double. Hayden’s 2012 partner, Nathan Flannery also made the cut to be in the quad and the final member is Fergus Fauvel.

The men’s quad is to be coached by Calvin Ferguson who will also be in charge of a completely new men’s double sculls combination. The double is to be made up of two members of the London Olympic men’s quad – Robbie Manson and Michael Arms. Manson and Arms finished second and third at the New Zealand National Rowing Championships behind Nathan Cohen in the men’s single.

A familiar face is back in the lightweight men’s single sculls. Former World Champion, Duncan Grant is back in the boat.

The priority lightweight men’s boat is the lightweight men’s four includes London Olympic bronze medallist from the lightweight men’s double sculls, Peter Taylor. This will be Taylor’s first international season as a sweep rower. He is joined by James Lassche and Curtis Rapley who were in the boat that narrowly missed out on qualifying the lightweight four for the London Olympics. The final member is James Hunter who moves up from last year’s under-23 team.

The surprise omission from the team is Olympic gold medallist in the men’s double, Joseph Sullivan. Sullivan later tweeted. “Didn’t make the cut… Here we go again!”  Sullivan will remain training with the New Zealand squad and has a chance of making the World Rowing Championships team when further trials take place in July. The July trials also give Olympic Champion in the men’s single, Mahe Drysdale a chance to make the team. Drysdale is currently on a six month sabbatical from the sport.

2013 New Zealand Rowing Team

Lightweight Women’s Single Sculls
Louise Ayling
Coach: Dick Tonks

Lightweight Women’s Double Sculls
Julia Edward
Lucy Strack
Coach: Dick Tonks

Women’s Single Sculls
Emma Twigg
Coach: Gary Hay

Women’s Double Sculls
Fiona Bourke
Zoe Stevenson
Coach: Dick Tonks

Women’s Pair
Rebecca Scown
Kayla Pratt
Coach: Gary Hay

Women’s Quadruple Sculls
Erin-Monique Shelton
Genevieve Armstrong
Georgia Perry
Sarah Gray
Coach: Dick Tonks

Women’s Eight
Kelsey Bevan
Genevieve Behrent
Eve Macfarlane
Jessica Loe
Kerri Gowler
Grace Prendergast
Robyn Munro
Linda Matthews
Coxswain: Laura Campbell
Coach: Dick Tonks

Lightweight Men’s Single Sculls
Duncan Grant
Coach: Calvin Ferguson

Men’s Double Sculls
Robbie Manson
Michael Arms
Coach: Calvin Ferguson

Men’s Pair
Hamish Bond
Eric Murray
Coach: Noel Donaldson

Men’s Four
Bobby Kells
Adam Tripp
Tobias Wehr-Candler
Jade Uru
Coach: Noel Donaldson

Men’s Quadruple Sculls
Hayden Cohen
Nathan Flannery
Fergus Fauvel
Nathan Cohen
Coach: Calvin Ferguson

Lightweight Men’s Four
Curtis Rapley
Peter Taylor
James Hunter
James Lassche
Coach: Dave Thompson