Rowing New Zealand is pleased to share the 2025-2028+ Pathway Plan and 2026 Representative Team nomination information.  On water and erg targets, as well as Development Guidelines will be shared via email.  If you do not receive this email and would like this information, please contact the Pathway team:

Janey Charlton - Athlete Development Manager: janey@rowingnz.kiwi

Will Maling - Domestic Pathway Lead: will.maling@rowingnz.kiwi

Michele Munro - International Pathway Lead: michele@rowingnz.kiwi

Selection Guidelines

The 2025-26 High Performance Selection Guidelines have been updated and can be found under High Performance>Policies and Information on the Rowing NZ website.  A link is also available here: High Performance Selection Guidelines 2025-2026

These guidelines are for any athlete wanting to nominate for any representative team listed in the document.

Team Nominations

Athletes

• Nominations are now open for all teams and will close on 17 November 2025, except for U18 North vs South.  The U18 North vs South nominations will open on 1 January 2026 and will close on 28 February 2026.  A link to the nomination form can be found here: Athlete Nomination Form

Coaches

• Nominations will open on 7 October and close on 28 October 2025.  A link to the nomination form can be found here: Coach Nomination Form
• Coaching information including Job Descriptions and Coach Selection guidelines can be found here: Coach Nomination Information

Webinars

• We will be running webinars to provide information on the nomination and selection process, as well as some campaign information on the following dates.  Please click the relevant link below to register your interest
• U19 – Wednesday 15 October, 7pm: U19 Webinar
• U23/World Uni/U22 –Wednesday 22 October, 7pm: U23/World Uni/U22 Webinar
• U23 – International Athletes – Monday 3 November (NZT)/Sunday 2 November (USA) – confirmed times TBC.  There will be an East Coast and a West Coast option - link to come closer to the time
• U18 – Wednesday 21 January 2026, 7pm: link to come closer to the time

Assessment Camps

The December Development Camps will now be replaced with Assessment camps for U23, U22/World Uni, and U19 nominees.  These camps will involve some on water and off water testing, as well as some education sessions.  Selection to these camps will be based on athlete nominations and most recent 5km erg submissions.

The dates for these camps are:

• South Island U22/World Uni: 10-12 December 2025
• North Island U22/World Uni: 10-11 December 2025
• North Island U19: 14-16 December 2025
• South Island U19: 14-16 December 2025
• U23: 16-20 December 2025 

Pathway Plan

The Rowing New Zealand Pathway exists to develop promising athletes towards the Rowing NZ Elite Squad.

The pathway starts with athletes who have finished their school rowing or have picked up the sport after school.

The top end of the pathway is athletes who are pushing for a spot in the Elite Squad. The pathway consists of three key areas – athlete level, training environment, and teams.

Athletes based in NZ may earn a spot on our Domestic Pathway list, while athletes who choose to study abroad may be selected onto our International Pathway list. This page outlines how the pathway works and what athletes need to do to develop towards elite standard.

The 2025-2028 Rowing NZ Pathway Plan is now live and can be found under High Performance>Pathway on the Rowing NZ website.  A link is also available here: 2025-2028+ Rowing NZ Pathway Plan

Gaining qualifications on the Pathway

For rowers seeking to gain tertiary qualifications, the guide below provides information about studying in NZ & overseas while on the pathway.

Gaining qualifications on the High Performance Pathway