Lucy Spoors and Brooke Francis wasted no time proving they belong at the top of international rowing. Just months after claiming gold in the women’s double sculls at Paris 2024, the pair returned to the water at Henley Royal Regatta and claimed victory in The Stonor Challenge Trophy, their first competitive outing on the international circuit since the Olympics.
The win carries particular weight. Spoors and Francis made history in Paris as the first crew of mothers to win Olympic gold in rowing, a breakthrough moment for New Zealand sport that transcended the narrow world of elite rowing. But comebacks are never guaranteed. Athletes returning from time away with young children face uncertainty, both physical and mental. Some never recapture their form. These two did, emphatically.
Their performance at Henley suggests the Paris gold was no flash in the pan. The pair had already proven their edge closer to home, claiming the women’s premier double sculls title at the 2026 New Zealand Rowing Championships earlier in the year. Henley, though, operates on a different plane entirely. The Thames course remains one of rowing’s most storied and demanding venues, and Spoors and Francis dominated throughout the regatta.
Spoors credited familiarity as a key factor in their success. Racing in a Filippi F13, the same hull they use back home in New Zealand, removed one variable from an already complex equation. “Henley is a unique course and can be a challenging regatta, so having complete confidence in the boat is incredibly important,” Spoors said. That confidence showed. The Italian boat builder’s support allowed the pair to train in the exact equipment they would race in, eliminating the adjustment period that can catch even the best crews off guard on unfamiliar water.
What’s striking about Spoors and Francis is their refusal to treat a return from motherhood as a rehabilitation project. They came back hungry. The Henley victory sits alongside their Tokyo medals, their Paris gold, and now their domestic dominance. They’re not rebuilding a reputation; they’re adding to it.
The pair have also joined Filippi’s exclusive Filippi Family for 2026, an initiative that brings together some of the world’s leading rowers for behind-the-scenes storytelling and training insights. It’s the sort of platform that amplifies what they’ve already proven on the water: that elite performance and motherhood can coexist, that taking time away doesn’t mean you’ve finished, and that New Zealand remains a genuine force in international rowing.
