Since Rob Waddell won the single scull gold at Sydney in 2000 - the country's first Olympic rowing medal of any colour for 12 years - New Zealand has won five gold and four bronze medals over the last three summer Olympiads. None of those medal-winning boats has carried more than two people.
New Zealand has established itself among the pre-eminent rowing nations, with an enviable coaching programme based at a venue, Lake Karapiro, which European nations, hatches battened down through the bitter winter months, can only envy.
But through all that there was one thing conspicuously missing - a New Zealand presence in the blue riband eights class.
This will be rectified at Aiguebelette, east of Lyon and not far south of the Swiss border, when New Zealand will attempt to qualify a full hand of 14 crews for the Rio Olympics next year.
If successful, it will be the first time a women's eight has made the Olympics; and the first appearance by a men's eight since finishing fourth in 1984 in Los Angeles.
It is a seriously expensive business, so, playing Devil's Advocate, why bother?
When everything is going along swimmingly, why take a significant plunge, both financially and in risking seeing New Zealand rowing's status take a hit?
There are three broad reasons: the rising number of elite class athletes; a determination to be present at the start line in Rio on every class, and history.
Simon Peterson clearly remembers the attitude towards reviving an eights programme around the board table when he became chief executive in March 2009.
"Three medals in Beijing (2008) was seen as an okay result, but there was greater expectation in-house," he said. "There was always an ambition to grow the crew but wanting to stay focused on what could be achieved in a small boat strategy with the funding that was available.
Mahe Drysdale
The London success, with five medals, allowed 14 boats to become more of a goal."
In London there were golds, delivered in varying styles by the single sculling master Mahe Drysdale, the unstoppable coxless pair of Eric Murray and Hamish Bond - still undefeated since the start of 2009 - and double scullers Nathan Cohen and Joseph Sullivan, with a withering finish which had the Eton Dorney crowd on their feet as one. There were bronze medals for lightweight double Peter Taylor and Storm Uru, and women's coxless pair Juliette Drysdale and Rebecca Scown.
That got the board thinking, and projecting.
"There was a lot of debate of having the vision of 14 boats vs having the money,"
Peterson said. "The agreement was always that we would only have 14 boats when we had the depth of talent to justify picking them, and that the money would come secondary."
A strategy of aiming for a full hand of boats was signed off with High Performance Sport New Zealand at the end of 2012. However, the final piece in the puzzle fell into place at last year's under-23 world championships in Italy.
New Zealand topped the medal count with six. This was the next generation roaring, "we want in".
In a sense, there came a recognition that places had to be found, or the sport risked losing gifted young athletes. Time to pull the trigger.
"It was a very calculated decision," Peterson said. "We wanted 14 boats in the programme for the long-term sustainability of the small boats as well."
So, imagine the satisfaction felt at events during the Lucerne World Cup last month when both fledgling eights crews finished on the podium, with silver (women) and bronze (men) medals. Sure, the Russians and Americans were not there, but New Zealand know at the very least, they're right in the game.
At Aiguebelette, there will be five Olympic places on offer in both eights events. The final opportunity to qualify comes at Lucerne next year, with the last two spots available.
Eights racing is not a cheap business. To send one crew on an overseas campaign costs about $500,000 a year. There are two running now, and next year, so think about $2 million.
By comparison, to send a two-seater away costs about $80,000 per annum. It's serious money and RNZ have attracted private donors, including David Richwhite, Peter Masfen, Derek Jones and the Brian Perry Trust.
Their financial muscle is aimed at the 14-boat programme, but with a keen eye on the eights. And RNZ are adamant; this is not a one-hit wonder for Rio. The plan is to press on to the Tokyo Olympics in 2020.
Peterson takes huge pride in the achievements of both the under-23 and elite rowers. "The depth of talent deserves nothing but investment in them.
"There's an incredibly positive message to a young rower, who may be at the Maadi Cup (secondary schools regatta) this coming season. They know there's going to be positions available."
Peterson called the double podium at Lucerne a "really special moment for the sport, and sends exactly the same message to the female rowers as the males about our investment and intentions".
Facts and figures
An eights boat is 19.9m long and must weigh a minimum 96kg
The first Olympics to include an eights was 1900 in Paris when the United States won gold, Belgium silver and the Netherlands bronze. It was planned in 1896 but bad weather forced its cancellation.
Only men raced at the Olympics until 1976. Women raced over only 1000m - half the now standard course - until 1988. It was not until 1996 that lightweight boats were introduced to the Games.
The first Oxford-Cambridge race was staged on the Thames in 1829. Held over a 6.8km course, Cambridge have won 81 races, Oxford 79, with one dead heat. It remains the world's most famous rowing event.
New Zealand is right back in the eights game with our crews finishing on the podium with silver (women) and bronze (men, top right) at the Lucerne World Cup last month.
