A powerful 45-strong group was unveiled yesterday to contest 12 classes at mid-year World Cup meets in Austria and Switzerland. A final trial on Lake Karapiro in late July will then help to determine the team to compete at the world championships in Bulgaria.
Two-time Olympic champion Mahe Drysdale and the world class Robbie Manson have both been named to contest the single sculls, in a departure from Rowing NZ selection policy.
The pair will effectively be on an extended trial. Drysdale has failed to match the speed of Manson this summer, having recently returned to the sport after a year off in the wake of his Rio Olympic win.
Elsewhere, crews who performed at last year's world champs in Florida have been rewarded.
Three gold-winning crews are retained in the men's double sculls (John Storey and Chris Harris), women's double sculls (Brooke Donoghue and Olivia Loe) and women's pair (Grace Prendergast and Kerri Gowler).
Silver medallists Zoe McBride and Jackie Kiddle are back in the lightweight women's double sculls but the selectors have decided against naming a men's lightweight single, where Matthew Dunham was runner-up in Florida.
Dunham has instead been named in a lightweight double, alongside Ben van Dalen, one of four new faces in the elite squad. Other newcomers are Jordan Parry (men's quad), Phoebe Spoors (women's four) and Kelsi Parker (women's eight).
High performance director Alan Cotter was impressed by what he saw at a five-day trial.
"It's our ambition to become the best rowing nation in the world and this team is the next step towards that goal," he said.
"We have some of the best rowing facilities and coaching staff in the world and with such a strong team we have every opportunity to thrive on the international scene."
Rowing NZ elite squad:
Men - Single sculls: Mahe Drysdale; Robbie Manson. Pair: Tom Murray, Michael Brake. Double sculls: Chris Harris, John Storey. Lightweight double sculls: Ben van Dalen, Matthew Dunham. Quad: Lewis Hollows, Cameron Crampton, Jordan Parry, Nathan Flannery. Eight: Brook Robertson, Anthony Allen, Cameron Webster, Stephen Jones, Joe Wright, Isaac Grainger, Shaun Kirkham, Phillip Wilson, Caleb Shepherd (cox).
Women - Single sculls: Hannah Osborne. Pair: Kerri Gowler, Grace Prendergast. Double sculls: Olivia Loe, Brooke Donoghue. Lightweight double sculls: Jackie Kiddle, Zoe McBride. Coxless four: Ellie Jeurissen, Ruby Tew, Georgia Perry, Phoebe Spoors. Eight: Kelsey Bevan, Kelsi Walters, Emma Dyke, Beth Ross, Jackie Gowler, Lucy Spoors, Kelsi Parker, Ella Greenslade, Sam Bosworth (cox).
