She was a member of the same crew that outclassed Australia when the series was held in the South Island last year.
The New Zealand men's and women's crews have won the transtasman event for the past two years and will be keen to make it three in a row.
Grundy (20), the Otago Rower of the Year, had an outstanding season last summer. She was a member of University of Otago crews that won silver medals in the women's senior quadruple sculls and the double sculls at the New Zealand championships at Lake Karapiro. She also added a bronze medal in the women's senior pair with Bridget Wright.
Grundy, a science student, grew up in Dunedin and started rowing at Otago Girls High School. She began her studies at Otago University but transferred to Massey University last year.
She made her debut in the eight for New Zealand Universities when it beat Australian Universities in the 3-0 whitewash last winter. Her ability was recognised by the Otago provincial selectors, who named her in the Otago High Performance squad for the past two years.
Grundy returns to Dunedin each summer to compete for Otago University and work with Glen Sinclair, who was named Otago Coach of the Year last season.
New Zealand outclassed the Australian crews in Sydney last year and will be trying to make it six wins in a row this year.
The women's eight is the best New Zealand crew and it will be keen to continue its dominance over the Australian Universities eight.
Six members of the New Zealand women's eight are students at Otago. They are Bess Halley, Sian Jones-White, Meg Wilson, Laura Tester, Sarah van Belletrom and cox Aynsley Moore.
Lucy Strack (Canterbury), who was runner-up for the Otago Rower of the Year award, is in the women's lightweight quadruple sculls. Strack finished third in the women's premier lightweight single sculls at the Karapiro nationals, and fifth in the under-21 heavyweight single sculls.
The two Otago University members in the quadruple sculls are Kate French and Catherine van Gessel.
Other Otago University rowers are: Matthew McGovern, who will stroke the men's heavyweight eight; in the eight and fours squad, Campbell Lowe, Dougal MacDuff, Scott Vandenbosch and cox Michael Dessoulavy; in the men's lightweight coxless four, Alistair Bond and Richard Sharp.
The university series is a launchpad for participants to get into international rowing. Several past university rowers have gone on to represent New Zealand at world championships and Olympic Games.
The three-test series against Australian crews will be held at Helmsman (July 1), Nepean River (July 3) and on the Sydney Olympic course (July 4).
