The Rocket Foods New Zealand Rowing Championships

The Rocket Foods New Zealand Rowing Championships are underway on Lake Karapiro, 150 km south of Auckland on the North Island. Held over 5 days, the event started on Tuesday with finals scheduled for this Friday and Saturday, attracting 792 athletes across 69 events.

All eyes have been on the men’s single as the rivalry between Robbie Manson, 28, and Mahe Drysdale, 39 intensifies. Last month Robbie Manson took first position at the Cambridge Town Cup/North Island club championship regatta, with Mahe Drysdale coming in 5th. Both men won their heats on Tuesday afternoon, Manson in 7:16.29 and Drysdale in 7:20.06, and will meet again in the final on Saturday (13:35 local time).

Rowing New Zealand (RNZ) was expected to follow procedure and select one sculler after Saturday. However, the seat is now to be determined over three rounds, with Saturdays’ final being round one. Neither Manson nor Drysdale has elected to contest the seat and both will be allowed to compete internationally. Manson and Drysdale will now compete overseas at World Cup II (June 21-24, Austria) and World Cup III (July 13-15, Switzerland) and the best performer will get the seat at the World Championships, this year being held in Plovdiv, Bulgaria.