Phil Wilson

Phillip (Phil) Wilson started rowing in 2010 at Wellington College when he was 13 years old and joined Petone Rowing Club in 2014. He first represented New Zealand in the Junior Men’s Double in 2014 at the World Rowing Junior Championships in Hamburg, Germany.

After two seasons with Central Rowing Performance Centre and a year at the University of Otago where he won the Hebberly Shield, he returned to the New Zealand Team in 2016 as part of the U23 Men’s Coxed Four. The crew won Gold at the World Rowing U23/Junior/Senior Rowing Championships in Rotterdam, Netherlands. In 2017 Phil stroked the U23 Men’s Eight that placed 7th at the World Rowing U23 Championships in Plovdiv, Bulgaria.

Phil impressed the New Zealand selectors and was chosen as an elite reserve for the 2017 World Rowing Championships in Sarasota, Florida. A breakthrough season with the New Zealand Summer Squad followed and Phil linked up with Tom Murray to win Gold in the Premier Men’s Pair at the 2018 Rocket Foods New Zealand Rowing Championships. In 2019 Phil won back-to-back National Titles in the Premier Pair with Tom Murray. He was selected for the Elite Men’s Eight in 2018. It was a tough year for the crew, but he was reselected in 2019 into the Men’s eight. Phil was moved forward in the boat and found himself on the podium for the first time in his Elite career with a Bronze at World Rowing Cup III, as well as winning the Grand Challenge Cup at the Henley Royal Regatta. Phil and the Men’s Eight finished 6th at the World Rowing Championships in 2019, missing a qualification spot for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.

After eventually securing qualification for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics via a win at the 2021 Final Olympic Qualification Regatta in Lucerne, the Men’s Eight (with Phillip at 6 seat) went on to reclaim the Olympic title for New Zealand after a near 50-year wait in an exhilarating final, winning the Olympic Gold Medal.

After the Olympics, Phil made the switch to the Men’s Quad in 2022, teaming up with Jordan Parry, Brook Robertson and Jack O’Leary. The crew raced at the 2022 World Rowing Cup II and Henley Royal Regatta. Phil and the crew with some new names in the Men’s Quad with Jack O’Leary, Jamie Hindle-Daniels and Stephen Jones – competed at the 2022 World Rowing Championships in Racice, Czech Republic. Unfortunately, they weren’t able to compete for the medals.

Phil transitioned back to sweeping in the 2022/23 NZ Summer Squad. However, Phil still dabbled in some sculling, where the Petone Rowing legend went on to claim the throne of the Men’s Premier Single Scull Title at the 2023 NZ Rowing Championships, at Lake Ruataniwha winning Gold. He also claimed Silver in the Men’s Premier Double scull with fellow Wellingtonian man – Jamie Hindle-Daniels.

Phil was named in the 2023 Elite Men’s Sweep Squad under coach Mike Rodger. He played an important role in qualifying the Men’s Pair for the 2024 Olympic Games at the 2023 World Rowing Championships in Belgrade, Serbia, where he raced alongside Ben Taylor and finished ninth overall.

In 2024, Phil was re-selected into the Men’s Pair, this time alongside new partner Dan Williamson. The duo quickly established themselves as a strong combination, finishing third in the Men’s Pair at World Cup III in Poland and claiming the bronze medal. Following this result, Phil and Dan were selected to represent New Zealand in the Men’s Pair at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games. They went on to win the B Final, finishing seventh overall.

Following the Olympics, Phil took a year away from rowing at Lake Karāpiro in 2025 to focus on furthering his education and preparing for life beyond competitive rowing. During this time, he completed the FIFA Master programme, graduating with an International MA in Management, Law and Humanities of Sport. Following his studies, Phil gained valuable international work experience in both Switzerland and Scotland.

Phil has now returned home to New Zealand and is preparing to resume full-time training as part of the 2026–27 Summer Squad. 

Away from the water, Phil has completed his Bachelor of Sport and Exercise through Massey University. He also enjoys spending his time playing golf and boating.