New Zealand picks 2011 team

Seymour and Wehr Candler move from last year’s men’s eight which raced at the World Rowing Championships in the final. The 2010 bronze medal four of Jade Uru, Hamish Burson and David Eade move into the eight with fourth member, Simon Watson, who is currently injured, becoming a reserve.

The lightweight men’s double sculls sees the continuation of the Peter Taylor – Storm Uru combination. Taylor and Uru have been together since 2008 when they raced to a seventh place finish at the Beijing Olympics. The next year they became World Champions, following it up with a bronze medal in 2010. Uru had to sit out some of his recent domestic season due to a back injury but was back to make good use of the trials. This leaves three-time lightweight single scull World Champion, Duncan Grant back in the single. Grant missed out on a fourth World title last year and will have a chance to reinstate himself this year.

The lightweight women’s double sculls has also changed with lightweight single medallist, Louise Ayling moving into the boat along with 2010 lightweight double sculler Lucy Strack. Strack proved herself at the New Zealand National Championships last month by finishing second to Emma Twigg in the open women’s single.

Twigg remains as New Zealand’s women’s single sculler and goes into her fifth year in this position. This is similar for men’s single sculler, Mahe Drysdale. Drysdale remains in the single aiming to be back in World Champion position after finishing second in 2010.

The men’s quadruple sculls lost Olympic medallist Nathan Twaddle through retirement, but gained Steve Cottle who returns to the elite squad after a three year break. Cottle will join Matthew Trott, Robbie Manson and John Storey.

2011 New Zealand National Team

Elite team one – to attend:

Samsung World Rowing Cup II, Hamburg, Germany
Samsung World Rowing Cup III, Lucerne, Switzerland
World Rowing Championships, Bled Slovenia

Women’s Single Scull
Emma Twigg
Dick Tonks (Coach)

Women’s Coxless Pair
Rebecca Scown
Juliette Haigh
John Robinson (Coach)

Women’s Quadruple Sculls
Eve Macfarlane
Fiona Bourke
Louise Trappitt
Sarah Gray
Dick Tonks (Coach)

Men’s Single Scull
Mahe Drysdale
Dick Tonks (Coach)

Men’s Coxless Pair
Hamish Bond
Eric Murray
Dick Tonks (Coach)

Men’s Double Sculls
Nathan Cohen
Joseph Sullivan
Calvin Ferguson (Coach)

Lightweight Men’s Single Scull
Duncan Grant
John Robinson (Coach)

Lightweight Men’s Double Sculls
Peter Taylor
Storm Uru
Calvin Ferguson (Coach)

Men’s Coxless Four
Tobias Wehr-Candler
Ian Seymour
James Dallinger
Carl Meyer
Dave Thompson (Coach)  

Elite team 2 – to attend:

Samsung World Rowing Cup III, Lucerne, Switzerland
World Rowing Championships, Bled Slovenia

Women’s Double Sculls
Anna Reymer
Fiona Paterson
Gary Hay (Coach)

Lightweight Women’s Double Sculls
Louise Ayling
Lucy Strack
Gary Hay (Coach)

Lightweight Men’s Pair
James Lassche
Graham Oberlin-Brown
John Robinson (Coach)

Men’s Quadruple Sculls
Robbie Manson
Steve Cottle
Matthew Trott
John Storey
Mike Rodger (Coach)

Men’s Eight
Ben Hammond
Chris Harris
Sean O’Neill
Hamish Burson
Tyson Williams
Adam Tripp
David Eade
Jade Uru
Ivan Pavich (Coxswain)
Mark Stallard / Dave Thompson (Coaches) 

Adaptive Single Scull (attending World Rowing Championships, Bled, Slovenia)
Danny McBride
David Lazarus, Norm Charlton (Coaches)