McFarlane makes NZ junior rowing team

McFarlane makes NZ junior rowing team

Source : _Stuff

Marlborough Boys’ College rower Angus McFarlane has forced his way into the New Zealand junior squad to take part in the 2016 world junior championships in Rotterdam during August.

McFarlane was part of a four-strong group of senior MBC oarsmen, alongside Jordan Gasson, Cameron Donald and Robson Davies, who performed strongly at the Maadi Cup regatta in early April, narrowly being denied the coveted “Springbok” four title.

National pairs champions Gasson and Donald were named to trial for the NZ juniors immediately following the Lake Ruataniwha regatta, McFarlane and Davies missing selection. Their disappointment was short lived however when both received a call during the week following Maadi, asking them to also show their stuff at the trials. After a a six-day test of mental and physical mettle at Lake Karapiro, that included a 2km ergo meter test and rigorous seat racing, McFarlane got the nod, completing a whirlwind couple of weeks. 

He admitted he was “pretty gutted” at missing the original trial squad. “I never thought at that stage I would be in this position. I got the call before school on Wednesday and I was shocked at first, but it felt great.”

The trials, described by McFarlane as “probably the longest and hardest week of my life” went well, with the selectors surprising the athletes by putting an eight crew together.

“There were 16 sweepers [sweep oar rowers] there and they named an eight to go through a 1500m prognostic test,” explained McFarlane. “We had to do a certain time … and, although they didn’t tell us how we went, it was obviously pretty quick. We did a few more seat races then a final prognostic over 2k in the eight. All the boys in the eight were pretty stoked that they decided to take that crew to the worlds.” McFarlane has been named among a group of 10 young men who will form the Kiwi eight and also become a reserve NZ pair. 

With four rowers at trials Marlborough Boys’ College was the best-represented school there, a fact McFarlane was proud of.  His schooling will not be affected by the selection, with Rowing NZ making provision for on-going study. The junior team will commence training at the Rowing New Zealand High Performance Centre from June 19 which requires many of the athletes to relocate to Cambridge. As the juniors prepare and train for the worlds they will continue their secondary school studies at St Peter’s School in Cambridge and will be accommodated at the Rob Waddell Lodge at Lake Karapiro.

Last year McFarlane was in the South Island under-18 team, this year he takes a major step up. “I am really looking forward to it,” he said. “It’s going to be pretty awesome to put [the silver fern] on.”  

The 28 junior athletes will race in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, from August 21-28. 

Rowing New Zealand will send a total of eight crews made up of a women’s cox less four, women’s quadruple scull, men’s double scull, men’s quadruple scull, men’s eight as well as a reserve women’s double scull, reserve men’s pair and reserve men’s single scull to Rotterdam. The junior worlds will be held in a combined regatta with the under-23 and senior world champs.

The crews depart on August 12 for Rotterdam for pre-competition training prior to the championships.