It has been a jam-packed week in Dunedin for rower Mila van Rensburg and her New Zealand university team-mates as they prepare for the transtasman series in Sydney next week.
The national university women’s eight have been based at the Otago University Rowing Club and out lapping up training on Otago Harbour twice a day as part of the Dunedin training camp.
“It’s been so good,’’ van Rensburg said.
“The water’s just happened to be amazing this week. It’s usually pretty good, but this week we’ve been able to row in the afternoons as well in the harbour, which is really rare.
“It’s so fun being in a fast eight and I know everyone’s been working really hard too, so it’s been very motivating.’’
Van Rensberg is part of a strong Otago University contingent in the squad, including Lucy Clark, Maggie Hepburn, Lauren Wood and coach Jamie McKenzie.
They are joined by Auckland University duo Sarah Healy and Isabella Karim and Canterbury University rowers Frances Hazeldine, Bella Neale and cox Robbie Miller.
The nine-strong national squad — five of who have moved into van Rensburg’s flat this week for the training camp — have enjoyed honing their connections and being able to use the “amazing facility’’ at the Otago University club.
“It’s been really great so far. It’s been such a cool campaign and we’ve had a lot of fun this week,” van Rensburg said of her first national university campaign.
“Just looking forward to giving it a good whack in the racing and spending more time with the team.
“We’ve become really close this week and just seeing what we can lay down in Australia.’’
Van Rensburg grew up in Blenheim, rowing for Marlborough Girls’ High School, where she won several Maadi Cup medals. She represented New Zealand in the women’s coxless four at the under-19 world championships in 2024.
She is in her second year in Dunedin, where she is studying medicine, and picked up strong results at the national university championships.
She won gold in the championship eight, the championship coxed four and silver in the championship coxed quad sculls.
Clark, Hepburn and Wood were part of the eight and the four.
Otago rowers Angus Loe, Charlie Moon and cox Fred Phillips have also been named in the men’s eight, who have been training in Christchurch.
The transtasman series gets under way on Monday and runs until next Saturday in Sydney.
