A squad of 39 athletes has been announced to contest the Rowing World Cups 2 and 3.

Australia will send crews to World Cup 2 (Munich, Germany) and World Cup 3 (Lucerne, Switzerland) on a four week tour of Europe, before the squad returns to Australia to continue preparations ahead of the 2010 World Rowing Championships in New Zealand (October 31-November 7).

As part of the same announcement, eight crews were named in the Australian Under 23 World Championships team, which will compete at the 2010 Under 23 World Championships in Brest, Belarus in July.

Headlining the Senior A contingent will be the 2008 Olympic silver medal crew of Francis Hegerty (NSW), Cameron McKenzie-McHarg (VIC), James Marburg (VIC) and Matt Ryan (NSW) who will be eager to add further medals to their tally, after also claiming silver at the 2009 World Championships.

The two men’s sculling boats threw up a number of potential combinations, with the selectors able to choose two strong crews. Daniel Noonan (NSW), David Crawshay (VIC), Karsten Forsterling (VIC) and Chris Morgan (SA) will form the men’s quad scull crew, while Jared Bidwell (QLD) and Danjels Reedman (NSW) will combine in the men’s double scull.

The men’s eight will split up into two men’s fours crews for World Cup 2, before reforming the eight in Lucerne.

In the women’s program, 2008 Beijing Olympians Kerry Kore (TAS), Sarah Tait (VIC) and Pauline Frasca (VIC) all return to the Australian team, with Hore to row in the women’s double scull with Kim Crow (VIC), while Tait and Frasca will row in separate women’s pair combinations.

2004 junior women’s single scull world champion, Sally Kehoe (QLD), will get her chance to row the boat at senior level for the first time, while Hannah Every-Hall (QLD) and Alice McNamara (VIC) form the women’s lightweight double scull.

Rowing Australia High Performance Director Andrew Matheson says that there were a number of difficult decisions to make.

“Across the week of trials we had a number of athletes put their hands up and push for selection across all boat categories,” Matheson said. “We have developed a good talent pool of rowers for the current Olympic cycle and we believe that this squad will serve us well for the two World Cups in Europe.”

Meanwhile Matheson said there was still the chance for a number of other athletes to come back into the selection race for the World Championships.

“A number of athletes were unable to make the World Cup tour due to injuries or personal commitments and these athletes will have the chance to trial in August,” Matheson said.

“Duncan Free, Sam Conrad, Brooke Pratley, James McRae, Ben Cureton and Tom Gibson, who were all part of the Olympic team in 2008, will trial for places in August and will be given due opportunity to qualify for the World Championships team.”

The 2010 Australian Rowing Team will depart for Europe on Sunday 13 June to compete in World Cup 2 and 3.

A final round of selection trials for the 2010 Australian World Rowing Championships team will be held in August.

Rowing Australia