Thirty-five rowers have earned selection to Rowing New Zealand’s Summer Squad for the 2026-27 season, with the cohort drawn from clubs across the country and several American universities.
The squad reflects New Zealand’s depth in the sport. Waikato Rowing Club dominates the list with 12 selections, while North Shore, Avon, and West End clubs each contributed multiple athletes. Several squad members balance international university rowing with their national programme ambitions, a pattern that has become standard for New Zealand’s elite rowers seeking high-level competition abroad.
The squad splits between two training blocks. Athletes not selected for the 2026 World Championships team begin at the Colgan High Performance Centre on 31 August, under coach Calvin Ferguson’s direction. Those heading to the World Championships return a month later, on 28 September. Both groups have prescribed training to complete independently before their respective start dates.
The women’s squad includes some established names and emerging talent. Rebecca Leigh, competing for Stanford, returns alongside Ella Cossill and Isla Blake from the University of Washington. Others like Alana Sherman, Kate Haines, and Sophie Egnot-Johnson come from the powerhouse Waikato contingent. The 18-strong women’s selection spans from Invercargill to North Shore, suggesting broad geographic talent development.
The men’s side features 17 athletes with a similar geographic spread. Finn Hamill, Josh Vodanovich, and Oscar Ruston from Waikato represent the club’s strength in the men’s ranks. Benjamin Shortt, Harry Fitzpatrick, and Logan Ullrich bring American university experience from Washington and other institutions. Younger or less-exposed rowers like Thomas Murray from Blenheim and Matthew Macdonald from North Shore round out a squad built for both immediate World Championships performance and longer-term development.
Athletes must confirm acceptance by Monday 17 August, giving Rowing NZ a fortnight to finalise logistics before training begins. The two-phase assembly allows World Championships athletes to maintain their competition prep while keeping the broader development squad engaged through the northern hemisphere summer.
