Rowing: Pair over injuries in time for European tour

Tom Murray (L) and Michael Brake. Photo / Photosport

Men's pair Tom Murray and Michael Brake should be on the plane with the rest of New Zealand's elite rowing crew shortly after overcoming injuries which threw a cloud over their European campaign.

Blenheim rower Murray and North Shore's Brake were sidelined by injuries suffered recently but have been back in the boat this week and there are encouraging signs.

Murray broke toes in a boating mishap while Brake slipped while cleaning cobblestones and broke a wrist in trying to break his fall.

''We've got a winter series weekend of racing this weekend and we'll have a discussion on final plans for them,'' Rowing New Zealand's high performance boss Alan Cotter said yesterday.

''More than likely they'll hop on the plane.''

The pair will probably miss the second World Cup regatta in Linz, Austria on June 21-24 but should be good to go for the Lucerne event on July 13-15.

Murray was in the under-23 world championship-winning eight in 2013 and 2014 and both were in the eight which finished sixth at the Rio Olympics two years ago.

Now they are in one of New Zealand's rowing's most celebrated boats.

For eight years Hamish Bond and Eric Murray bestrode the sport, unbeaten through two Olympic cycles in the pair.

When they stepped away last year – Bond to win Commonwealth Games bronze in the cycling individual time trial on the Gold Coast, Murray to retirement – Tom Murray and James Hunter won bronze at the world champs in Florida last year.

Hunter has retired and Brake now has his chance. The injuries were a cruel blow in the important leadup period to heading overseas.

This year's world championships are in Plovdiv, Bulgaria in September.