Four Aramoho Wanganui Rowing Club rowers named in NZ team for world champs

Whanganui's Kerri Gowler (left) and coxless pairs partner Grace Prendergast are again named in the NZ team for the world champs in Bulgaria.

Four Aramoho Whanganui Rowing Club (AWRC) rowers have been named in seats for New Zealand crews.

While all the media attention has centered around superstars like Mahe Drysdale, the hard-working Whanganui rowers have thoroughly earned their spots for teams to compete at the September 9-16 world championships in Bulgaria.

Double Olympic single sculls champion Drysdale lost that spot, but earned a seat in the quad, taking the seat of Jordan Parry. Drysdale last raced a crew boat for New Zealand at the Athens Olympics, when he finished fifth in the coxless four.

AWRC rowers Chris Harris, Martyn O'Leary and the Gowler sisters Kerri and Jackie have either retained their seats from previous world class competition, or moved into new spots.

Harris has again been named in the double sculls alongside John Storey under coach Calvin Ferguson, who also has Whanganui links. He spent the best part of his rowing and early coaching career in Whanganui.

Harris and Storey just missed out on the medals at the World Cup III regatta in Lucerne in July, finishing fourth in the men's double sculls final. The pair are the defending world champions having won in 2017.

Kerri Gowler has again been named in the coxless pair with regular partner Grace Prendergast under the watchful eye of coach Gary Hay.

Gowler and Prendergast took out the women's pair in Lucerne to retain the pair's unbeaten streak stretching back to last year.

Younger sister Jackie Gowler has a seat in the elite women's eight under coach Dan Kelly.
Jackie Gowler won gold with the women's eight in Lucerne, which was one better than the silver the team won at World Cup II.

O'Leary joins the men's eight for the world championships in Bulgaria. O'Leary and his Kiwi crew won the coxed four at the 2016 under-23 world rowing championships in Rotterdam.

In recent years since moving from Whanganui, he has represented the Waikato RPC.