Rowsellas Team Announced for 2026 World Rowing Championships

By Rupert Guinness, Australian Rowing Teams Media Manager

Rowing Australia (RA) has named crews for 13 boats to race at the 2026 World Championships held on the Bosbaan international course at Amsterdam, Netherlands from 24-30 August.

The Rowsellas Team for Amsterdam is made up of 61 athletes from across RA’s Men’s, Women’s and Para rowing programs.

Selection was based on recent trials in Australia and Italy and the results of World Cup III in Lucerne from 26-28 June where both the Senior Australian Rowing Team (ART) and ‘Australia A’ teams competed.

Since Lucerne, the Men’s Team has trained and undergone final trials on Lake Varese from the AIS European Training Centre (ETC) at Gavirate, Italy. The Women’s Team flew back to Australia for training and final trials from the Hancock Prospecting Women's National Training Centre on the Nepean River at Penrith, Sydney. The Para rowing Team returned to Australia where the squad resumed training between the Reinhold Batschi National Training Centre at Lake Burley Griffin and on the Gold Coast.

That RA have been able to implement such an extensive and comprehensive selection process for the Rowsellas to race at the 2026 World Championships is attributable to the support of Hancock Prospecting and the enduring commitment of our Patron Mrs Gina Rinehart AO. Such investment plays a pivotal role in enabling our Australian crews to prepare, perform and succeed globally.

RA is also incredibly grateful for the continued and significant support from the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS), the Australian Sports Commission (ASC), and the Australian Government through Minister for Sport Anika Wells, whose investment enables athletes, coaches and programs to perform on the world stage and represent our nation with pride.

RA Performance Director Paul Thompson MBE said the support from key partners is critical to Australian rowing’s ability to implement its high-performance plan and preparations aimed at the Olympic and Paralympic Games at Los Angeles in 2028 and Brisbane in 2032.

"Rowing is the ultimate team sport and we couldn't be successful without the team that supports us,” Thompson said

“From our Patron Mrs Rinehart, Hancock Prospecting, the AIS and ASC, the State Institutes of sports and academies, clubs and all our partners we thank you.”

Thompson is confident the Rowsellas will produce a performance at the 2026 World Championships that will showcase the progress Australian rowing has made towards LA2028 and Brisbane2032.

“We have seen last year's green shoots flourish and this season has produced some very promising World Cup results which the team is determined to deliver at the Under 23 World Rowing Championships,” Thompson said.

“The team speed and depth has been building and crews are looking forward to doing themselves proud in Amsterdam.”

The Men’s team for Amsterdam has five boats – the Double Scull, Quadruple Scull, Pair, Four and Eight - with five Reserves. The Women’s team also has five boats – the Single Scull, Quadruple Scull, Pair, Four and Eight - with six Reserves. The Para rowing team has three boats – the PR1 Men’s Single Scull, PR3 Mixed Double Scull and PR3 Coxed Four - with one Reserve.

On the make-up of the Rowsellas for Amsterdam, Thompson said, "We have an emerging talented team with LA in their sights. There is a mix of youthful dynamic rowers and returning Olympians, and they have merged well for success over the World Cup season.” 

The core of the Rowsellas for Amsterdam is the Senior team that shone at World Cup III in Lucerne. Members of the ‘Australia A’ squad did impress at Lucerne and in recent trials to earn selection, highlighting the value of RA’s Pathway Program and the ‘Australia A’ initiative.

Seven athletes in the Rowsellas will also be Senior team debutants for the World Championships and earn themselves a numbered McVilly-Pearce Pin, which is presented by RA to every athlete after they first represent Australia at a Senior elite level at a World Championships, or an Olympic, Paralympic, or Commonwealth Games.

Those seven debutants will be Emily Sheppard (Women’s Quadruple Scull), Samantha Morton (Women's Eight), Marcus Della Marta (Men’s Quadruple Scull), Benjamin Scott (Men’s Four), Ella Marshall (PR3 Mixed Double Scull), Wallis Russell (PR3 Mixed Coxed Four), and Cormac Hayes (PR3 Mixed Coxed Four).

From the Men’s Team, selectors have kept their faith in the Eight that won the Bronze Medal at World Cup III in Lucerne, with the only change being the return of Austin Reinehr to the boat to bolster the crew after missing Lucerne due to a rib injury which he has recovered from.

Selectors have also named the same line ups in three other boats that raced at World Cup III.

Unsurprisingly, that includes the Pair of Alex Hill OAM OLY and Angus Dawson OLY who won the Gold Medal in Lucerne. The two other unchanged crews are in the Quadruple Scull boat that made the A-Final in Lucerne and the Double Scull pairing that placed second in the B-Final.

The main change to the team has been in selection of the Four. Returning to the boat are Paddy Holt OLY, who replaced Reinehr in the Men’s Eight at Lucerne, and Nikolas Pender from illness that ruled him out from racing in Lucerne at the last minute. Meanwhile, earning their way into the boat are Ben Canham OLY and Ben Scott from the ‘Australia A’ Four that won the B-Final at Lucerne ahead of the ‘Australia 1’ crew from the Senior team that finished third.

The Women’s Team is unchanged among its sweep boats with selectors naming the same Eight and Four crews that won Silver Medals at Lucerne, and the Pair that won the B-Final.

Tara Rigney OLY, a former recipient of the Gina Rineheart AO Leadership Award who won the Bronze in the Women’s Single Sculls at World Cup III, has also been selected in the boat again.

The main change is in the Women’s Quadruple Scull where Emily Sheppard and Romy Cantwell will race with two new crew members – Annabelle McIntyre OAM OLY and Jean Mitchell OLY.

McIntyre, also a Gina Rinehart AO Leadership Award winner, won Olympic Gold in the Four at Tokyo 2021 and Bronze in the Pair at Paris 2024. Her selection follows back surgery post-Paris and a successful racing return at Lucerne with second place in the B-Final of the Single Sculls.

Meanwhile, Mitchell, in the Four at Paris 2024, raced in the ‘Australia A’ Eight that won two Golds at the Holland Beker International Regatta in Amsterdam and placed fifth at Lucerne.

Two of three Para rowing crews are unchanged. Erik Horrie, the PR1 Single Sculls Silver Medallist in Lucerne, is again picked to extend his years representing the Rowsellas to a record 16. In the PR3 Mixed Double Sculls, Ella Marshall and Sam Stunell who won Bronze in Lucerne also return for the World Championships.

The one crew change is in the PR3 Mixed Coxed Four where Australia won Bronze in Lucerne. Cormac Hayes, who did not race in World Cup III, returns to the boat for Amsterdam to race with Susannah Lutze PLY, Toby Goffsassen PLY, Wallis Russell, and (cox) Hannah Cowap PLY. Mac Russell, who rowed in Hayes’ place at Lucerne, remains the Para rowing reserve.

2026 AUSTRALIAN ROWSELLAS TEAM

World Championships, Amsterdam, The Netherlands, 24 - 30 August 2026

In Alphabetical order – Crew seatings will be confirmed next week

Names in red – Denote Senior World Championships debutants

PR1 MEN'S SINGLE SCULL

Erik Horrie OAM PLY | NSW, QAS - NTC, Sydney Rowing Club

Coach: Chris Holliday

PR3 MIXED DOUBLE SCULL

Ella Marshall | TAS, RBNTC, Banks Rowing Club

Sam Stunell | SA, RBNTC, Adelaide Rowing Club

Coach: Christine MacLaren

PR3 MIXED COXED FOUR

Hannah Cowap PLY | NSW, RBNTC, Sydney Rowing Club

Toby Goffsassen PLY | QLD, RBNTC, KAND Rowing Club

Cormac Hayes | ACT, RBNTC, Canberra Rowing Club

Susannah Lutze PLY | VIC, RBNTC, Mercantile Rowing Club

Wallis Russell | QLD, RBNTC, University of Queensland Boat Club

Coaches: Caroline Pijpers and James Loveday

PR3 SPARE

Mac Russell* | QLD, QAS, University of Queensland Boat Club

*Not travelling to Amsterdam

SENIOR MEN'S DOUBLE SCULL

Nicholas Blackman | SA, RBNTC, Adelaide University Boat Club

Oscar McGuinness | SA, RBNTC, Adelaide Rowing Club

Coach: Jamie Hewlett

SENIOR MEN'S QUAD SCULL

Johnson Daubney | WA, RBNTC, Swan River Rowing Club

Marcus Della Marta | NSW, RBNTC, Sydney University Boat Club

Jackson Free | QLD, RBNTC, KAND Rowing Club

Cormac Kennedy-Leverett | QLD, ACTAS, Sydney Rowing Club

Coach: Nick Mitchell

SENIOR MEN'S PAIR

Angus Dawson OLY | SA, RBNTC, Adelaide Rowing Club

Alexander Hill OAM OLY | SA, RBNTC, Adelaide Rowing Club

Coach: Chris O’Brien

SENIOR MEN'S EIGHT

Nicholas Dunlop | NSW, RBNTC, Sydney Rowing Club

Fergus Hamilton OLY | VIC, RBNTC, Mercantile Rowing Club

Rohan Lavery | VIC, VIS, Melbourne University Boat Club

Patrick Long | QLD, RBNTC, KAND Rowing Club

Harry Manton | VIC, RBNTC, Melbourne University Boat Club

Alex Nichol | NSW, RBNTC, Sydney Rowing Club

Austin Reinehr | VIC, RBNTC, Mercantile Rowing Club

Jack Robertson OLY | VIC, RBNTC, Mercantile Rowing Club

Mitch Salisbury | QLD, RBNTC, KAND Rowing Club

Coach: Nicolo Maurogiovanni

SENIOR MEN'S FOUR

Benjamin Canham OLY | VIC, RBNTC, Melbourne University Boat Club

Paddy Holt OLY | QLD, NSWIS, UTS Haberfield Rowing Club

Nikolas Pender | NSW, RBNTC, UTS Haberfield Rowing Club

Benjamin Scott | WA, WAIS, Harvard University / Fremantle Rowing Club

Coaches: Tom Laurich and Noel Donaldson

SENIOR MEN'S SPARES

Alexander Baroni* | WA, WAIS, University of California Berkeley / West Australian Rowing Club

Hamish Danks* | NSW, NSWIS, Sydney University Boat Club

Lachlan Doust | NSW, RBNTC, UTS Haberfield Rowing Club

Jackson Kench* | NSW, RBNTC, Sydney University Boat Club

Darcy Watter | QLD, QAS, KAND Rowing Club

* Travelling to Amsterdam

SENIOR WOMEN'S SINGLE SCULL

Tara Rigney OLY | NSW, NSWIS, Mosman Rowing Club

Coach: Alfie Young

SENIOR WOMEN'S QUAD SCULL

Romy Cantwell | VIC, VIS, Melbourne University Boat Club

Annabelle McIntyre OAM OLY | WA, HPNTC, Fremantle Rowing Club

Jean Mitchell OLY | VIC, HPNTC, Melbourne University Boat Club

Emily Sheppard | NSW, HPNTC, Sydney University Boat Club

Coach: Jamie McDonald

SENIOR WOMEN'S PAIR

Katie Easton | VIC, HPNTC, Melbourne University Boat Club

Emmie Frederico | VIC, HPNTC, Mercantile Rowing Club

Coach: Xavier Dorfman

SENIOR WOMEN'S FOUR

Bronwyn Cox OLY | WA, HPNTC, University of Western Australia Boat Club

Giorgia Patten OLY | WA, HPNTC, West Australian Rowing Club

Georgina Rowe OLY | NSW, HPNTC, UTS Haberfield Rowing Club

Jacqueline Swick OLY | WA, HPNTC, Swan River Rowing Club

Coach: James Harris

SENIOR WOMEN'S EIGHT

Lily Alton-Triggs OLY | QLD, HPNTC, University of Queensland Boat Club

Paige Barr OLY | VIC, HPNTC, Mercantile Rowing Club

Ella Bramwell | SA, HPNTC, Adelaide Rowing Club

Jaime Ford | NSW, HPNTC, Sydney University Boat Club

Eliza Gaffney | VIC, HPNTC, Melbourne University Boat Club

Georgie Gleeson | VIC, HPNTC, Melbourne University Boat Club

Laura Gourley OLY | NSW, HPNTC, UTS Haberfield Rowing Club

Samantha Morton | NSW, HPNTC, Sydney Rowing Club

Hayley Verbunt OLY | VIC, HPNTC, Mercantile Rowing Club

Coach: Ellen Randell

SENIOR WOMEN'S SPARES

Taylor Caudle | NSW, HPNTC, Sydney University Boat Club

Sophie Houston* | NSW, University of Washington / Sydney University Boat Club

Caitlin McManus-Barrett | ACT, ACTAS, Sydney Rowing Club

Star Rose Miller* | NSW, UC Berkeley / Sydney Rowing Club

Sara de Uray* | VIC, Melbourne University Boat Club

* Travelling to Amsterdam