Canterbury rowing coach on lookout for talent

Wanted: Canterbury's tallest athletes – females 180cm and over, males 190cm and over – and aged about 18 to 20.

Where: Report to the Rowbox in the Square today near the Millenium Hotel from mid-morning to mid-afternoon.

Why: To be checked out to determine if you have what it takes to represent New Zealand at rowing.

That's the challenge laid down by former Olympic rower and 2005 world champion Nicky Coles, now the Canterbury regional rowing coach.

Coles is on the hunt for tall, talented sportspeople who would like to give rowing a go.

"Typically the longer the levers, the faster the boat."

One way to assess their ability is at the Rowbox, which is on a nationwide tour promoting the world championships at Lake Karapiro in November, and includes three ergometers.

While Coles says there might not be time to turn prospective candidates into world beaters by then, Rowing New Zealand [RNZ] is on the lookout for raw talent that can be honed for future.

The top 10 males and females will be selected as part of an initial project with training and coaching provided at Kerrs Reach during winter from May to October.

Coles said yesterday it was important RNZ was always developing the next crop of talent to succeed the Drysdales of today.

"Other countries put time and effort into recruiting talent and so must we. Because we are a smaller nation we also have to be smarter."

The Rowbox will next appear at the Maadi Cup national secondary schools rowing regatta at Lake Ruataniwha at Twizel next week.

- © Fairfax NZ News