Great Race Attracts Major Trans-Tasman Rowing Clash
NZ Olympians, including the Evers-Swindell's, are set to take on Australia at this years Great Race.An historical international Trans-Tasman clash between the New Zealand Men's Rowing 8 and the Australian Men's 8 has been confirmed for the Great Race. In addition to that clash, the Australian national Women's Eight will compete against Waikato University's Women's Eight, featuring Olympic Champions Caroline and Georgina Evers-Swindell. Rowing Australia plans to send its top crews.
These international additions provide an exciting build-up to the Great Race, where Washington University from the United States will challenge Waikato University Mens 8 for the Harry Mahon Memorial Trophy.
"We are excited the Australians took the opportunity to accept our invitation to compete in this unique international challenge, straight after the World Champs in Japan," says event organiser Mark Ingle. "The Gallagher Great Race is unique in the Southern Hemisphere and remains a Hamilton event. The international recognition of the event is now taking a pretty exciting direction."
A new downstream course will be used for the Men's Trans-Tasman challenge and this promises a fast race. The teams will start upstream of Hamilton Gardens and end near Claudelands Bridge.
The Australian Women's Eight vs. Waikato University Women's Eight and the Great Race itself will follow the same course as previous years from Ann Street to Victoria Bridge.
Both countries' teams are stacked with Olympians; joining the Evers-Swindell twins, the Waikato University Women's squad includes four Olympians and six World Champions. The Australian teams are matching Waikato University's Olympic status with a number of champions expected to make their teams. The Australia Men's Eight came third in the Athens Olympics and the Australian Women's Eight team finished sixth. The final line-up of the Waikato University Men's team is still to be announced, although the squad includes two Olympians.
Noel Donaldson, Head Coach of Rowing Australia believes the teams will be well-matched.
"We've witnessed the international standard of the New Zealand crews improving over the past few years. With the changing of the guard in men's and women's rowing in Australia it means that a more even-playing field currently exists between our two countries," he says.
"Head-to-head match racing on the Waikato River will be a good challenge after the 2000m race distance at the World Championships in Japan.
Craig Ross, Chief Executive of Rowing New Zealand is looking forward to the Trans-Tasman rivalry and the international recognition that the new race brings:
"The Gallagher Great Race is a very special event which is building in tradition. For Rowing New Zealand and Rowing Australia to have the opportunity to be involved in a Trans-Tasman clash, will add some real spice to this magnificent Waikato event."
The Gallagher Great Race event runs from 10am until 3pm on Saturday 10th September. It is followed by the King Street Great Race Ball at the WEL Energy Trust Academy of Performing Arts at the University of Waikato that night.