New Zealand’s eight-oared crew made a statement on day one of the Under 23 World Championships in Duisburg, taking on world champions Great Britain in their heat and advancing straight to the A final.
Nic Bryan, the only rower back from last year’s silver-medal boat, sits in the four seat. Around him sits a collection of athletes drawn from the fierce 2023 Maadi Cup and Springbok Shield battles—Oli Leach, Dylan McConnell, Matthew Glen, Sam and Luke Hickling all rowed for either Sacred Heart, St Bede’s or Hamilton Boys in that record-setting year. Ted Mayne, Josh Syme and cox Hunter Rowland complete the crew.
Sam Woodgate speaks to the blend Bryan brings. “He’s been a real good leader in the boat, especially in bringing through the key things that helped out last year—like the swing in the third 500.” But Woodgate is equally keen to credit the injection of American college rowing. “Coming together with all these different US schools, they each bring their own thing. Luke at Northeastern, they have a pretty rapid start. We’re all putting our ideas together and sort of meeting in the middle has been really cool with the New Zealand guys and the American guys.”
Against Great Britain in the opening heat, the New Zealand boat sat close. The British led through the first 1500 metres, but the black crew moved relentlessly. They clocked 5:51.26 against GB’s 5:48.54, enough to take second and book their place in Sunday night’s final. Coach Calvin Ferguson credits the technical work. “We’ve been working a lot around clean blade work, shape and separation. They’re not as strong on ergs as last year’s crew, but the way they’re executing the pick-up and acceleration—it’s just going to be another step-up Sunday.”
Madeline Cox drew the short straw in the women’s single sculls, racing in the opening heat against Greece’s U19 world champion. She finished third in 8:23.98, but the time was fast enough for a semifinal berth. Cox, a Cal Berkeley sophomore and Hamilton Girls product, showed little anxiety waiting for results. Mark Stallard, her coach, noted she is a numbers person. “By the time we’d walked back to the tent to start recovery the numbers had come through. Seventh fastest time overall in a field like this is pretty cool.”
Tadhg Farac and Charlie Beale, both racing their first major flatwater regatta, found themselves outgunned in the men’s pair. Farac grew up on Herald Island, rowing across Auckland’s Upper Harbour from Westlake Boys before moving to North Shore. He and Beale held third through 1000 metres but faded in the closing stages to finish fifth in their heat. “It’s definitely a big step,” Farac said. “Class competition compared to domestic racing. We probably just struggled to race to the conditions, shortened up a little bit through the middle and let the race get away from us.”
The women’s quad of Madison Neale, Emma Bagrie, Tegan O’Dwyer and Harriet Thompson claimed the final A final spot on the fifth fastest time across their two heats, finishing 7:12.78 in a heat won by the USA in 6:57.90.
