Top rowing nations to compete at World Rowing Cup in Sydney

Host nation Australia is boating the biggest team followed by a large contingent from New Zealand, China and the Netherlands. The regatta has also attracted crews from other top rowing nations including Canada, United States, Italy, Germany, Denmark and Lithuania.

Running from 28-30 March, this is the second time that Sydney has hosted the World Rowing Cup and also the second time that it has been staged in the Southern Hemisphere.

Four World Champion crews will be lining up as well as a number of medallists from the 2013 World Rowing Championships. The World Champions coming to Sydney are the Dutch men's four, Germany's women's quadruple sculls, Lithuania's women's double sculls and Australia's Kim Crow in the women's single sculls.

Crow will tackle one of the toughest races of the regatta. The women's single has attracted all three medallists from the 2013 World Rowing Championships including silver medallist Emma Twigg of New Zealand and bronze medallist and reigning Olympic Champion Mirka Knapkova of the Czech Republic. Crow, who is hoping to continue her 2013 winning streak, will be a favourite in front of the local crowd.

The Chinese have entered crews in eight of the 14 boat classes including two-time Olympian Liang Zhang in the men's single sculls and Weiwei Zhu, a finalist in the women's double sculls at the London Olympic Games, in the women's single sculls.

The lightweight women's single sculls has attracted the most entries with 14 boats lining up. Both the women's pair and the women's double sculls have attracted 11 entries with the women's double including World Champions Donata Vistartaite and Milda Valciukaite of Lithuania.

The World Rowing Cup is being held in conjunction with the Sydney International Rowing Regatta which includes the Australian Open Rowing Championships, the King's & Queen's Cups Interstate Regatta and the Australian Open Schools Rowing Championships. This will make it Australia's largest rowing event and showcase the sport from school level through to the elite World Cup level.

For the full list of entries, click here.
Live streaming of the Sunday final races will be available on www.worldrowing.com and will also be broadcast on Fox Sports Australia as well as television channels worldwide, details to be announced next week.