Rowing trial places up for grabs

This weekend's South Island rowing championships at Lake Ruataniwha are more than an opportunity to win prestigious titles.

The event doubles as a New Zealand small-boat selection trial. Basically, anyone who finishes in the top two places in open events, as long as the times are up to scratch, will gain an automatic trial. The trials are at Lake Karapiro after the national club championships next month.

The Central Region Performance Centre (CRPC) squad, based at Wairau, is sending a full contingent of the 21 rowers based in Marlborough this season. That does not include those in the New Zealand training squad based at Lake Karapiro.

CRPC assistant coach Mark James has high hopes for his squad, coming off several weeks of hard training on the Wairau River and in the gymnasium.

James believes the men's pair of Tufe Sele and Axel Dickinson, single scullers Joe Wright and Joe Trappitt, and the men's double scull of Wright and Karl Manson are all good chances of earning a trial.

In the women's squad, Sophie Mackenzie and Georgia Hammond are a formidable double, and the pair of Robyn Munro and Erin-Monique Shelton have been impressing at training .

James said: "I would like to think all our squad have a chance [of a trial]. They have all been training well. Itching to get out and do some sprint work."

James expects tough opposition from the Southern RPC squad, which moved from its wrecked headquarters in Christchurch and have been based at Twizel for the past month.

Blenheim Rowing Club coach Bill Campbell is taking a strong squad south – his top senior under-18 and under-17 rowers and a novice crew.

Campbell said: "I'd like to see the under-19 and under-17 squads have a good regatta. We've put quite a lot of work into the under-17 eight. The regatta will give us an idea of how much further it will go."

The under-17 eight is Hayden Beavis, Conner Irving, Mitch Avery, Tom Wilson, Troy Gilmore, Max Bicknell, Isaac van Velthooven, Hugo Smith and coxswain Louis Smith.

Picton coach Dave Bugler, very pleased with how his young squad performed at last weekend's Marlborough championships, is taking his full complement south, headed by promising single-sculler Mitchell Mackenzie-Mol, who is also rowing a composite quad with Wairau's Kurt Williamson, Owen O'Brien and Callum Streeter. The rest of the Picton squad is Rebekah Riach, Caitlin Harvey, Paige Wilson, Alan Harvey and Kaine Marsh.

Wairau coach Dave Williamson expects big things from his senior crews in the under-18 division.

The top eight is Maddi Davies, Hannah Hocquard, Kristen Meaclem, Josefine Maasdam, Stacey Chandler, Milly Greenslade, Meg McIntosh, Ruby McIntosh, and coxswain Poppy Skudder.

The impressive under-16 four and quad is Nadja Hyson, Portia Barcello, TJ Power, Jess Donald and coxswain Lauren McAndrew.

After the previous regatta was blown out at Twizel, Williamson said it was reassuring that the weather forecast for this weekend was good.

- © Fairfax NZ News