Thirty-four rowers and three coxswains will gather at Lake Karāpiro next week for a four-day selection trial that will determine New Zealand’s team for the World Rowing Championships in Amsterdam this August.
The confirmation trials, running from 25 to 28 June, represent the final hurdle before the national squad boards the plane for the Netherlands. Rowing New Zealand has invited a wide cohort of athletes across women’s, men’s, and cox categories, each competing for a place in what promises to be a competitive campaign on the European water.
Waikato Rowing Club dominates the invitation list, with a dozen athletes called to trial. The club’s strength in both women’s and men’s categories reflects its position as a powerhouse in domestic rowing. North Shore, Avon, and Otago University round out the deeper contingent, while representation spreads across smaller clubs from Invercargill to Ashburton and Cambridge.
Three athletes face medical clearances: Alice Fahey and Kathryn Glen in the women’s field, and Shakira Mirfin. Their participation remains conditional on signing off from medical staff before the trial begins.
The confirmation format gives coaching staff the chance to assess athletes across different boat configurations and race conditions in the lead-up to Amsterdam. Competition for seats will be fierce. The World Championships offer New Zealand a chance to measure itself against the world’s elite rowing programmes, and the trials serve as both selection mechanism and final fine-tuning for the athletes who make the cut.
Those invited must confirm their attendance to Rowing New Zealand’s Lisa Holton by Friday 19 June. The organisation will then finalise squad lists based on trial performance, with the Amsterdam campaign taking shape over the following weeks.
Lake Karāpiro’s home advantage works in the athletes’ favour—familiar water, known conditions, and the chance to row in front of home support in the days before departure. For many, it may be the last competitive racing on New Zealand water before representing the country at the world’s premier rowing event.
