"The team named today contains no fewer than nine world champions and multiple medal winning elite, U23 and junior world championship rowers," NZOC secretary general and selector Kereyn Smith said. "Rowing is already a very successful Olympic sport for New Zealand and the outstanding team named for London will cement rowing's place in Olympic history."
New Zealand won gold in the men's eight in Munich in 1972 but have been conspicuously absent from the blue riband event in recent years. The crew of Richard Harrison, Hamish Burson, Tobias Wehr-Candler, Adam Tripp, Ian Seymour, Ben Hammond, Fergus Fauvel, David Eade and cox Ivan Pavich will need to win the qualifying regatta to win selection for London.
The lightweight four of three-time world lightweight sculling champion Duncan Grant, double under 23 world champion Graham Oberlin-Brown, world silver medallist James Lassche and Curtis Rapley will need to finish in the top two in Lucerne to book their ticket.
Emma Twigg - world silver medallist in 2010 and bronze medallist in 2011 - is selected for the women's single sculls.
Fi Paterson and Anna Reymer, bronze medallists in 2011, will remain in the promising women's double sculls, the boat in which New Zealand secured gold in Beijing four years ago with the Evers-Swindell twins.
There is a change in the women's lightweight double sculls from the 2011 crew which qualified for London. Julia Edward replaces Lucy Strack and will partner Louise Ayling.
The women's quad retains the bronze medal-winning combination of 2011 with Eve Macfarlane, Fiona Bourke, Louise Trappitt and Sarah Gray.
There are new lineups for the two other qualified boats - the men's four and the men's quad. The new-look men's four will be will be made up of Sean O'Neill, Chris Harris, Jade Uru and Tyson Williams and the men's quadruple sculls will be crewed by Robbie Manson, Matthew Trott, John Storey and new recruit Michael Arms.
Rowing has won 16 Olympic medals since Darcy Hadfield took bronze at the Antwerp Olympic Games in 1920 and sits equal with sailing as New Zealand's second-most medalled sport behind Athletics (20 medals).
New Zealand rowing squad for this year's Olympic Games:
Men
Single sculls: Mahe Drysdale
Pair: Eric Murray and Hamish Bond
Double sculls: Nathan Cohen and Joseph Sullivan
Lightweight double sculls: Peter Taylor and Storm Uru
Quadruple sculls: Robbie Manson, Matthew Trott, Michael Arms and John Storey
Four: Sean O'Neill, Chris Harris, Jade Uru and Tyson Williams
Women
Single sculls: Emma Twigg
Pair: Juliette Haigh and Rebecca Scown
Quadruple sculls: Eve Macfarlane, Fiona Bourke, Louise Trappitt and Sarah Gray
Lightweight double sculls: Julia Edward and Louise Ayling
Double sculls: Fi Paterson and Anna Reymer
***
New Zealand rowing team for boats to race at the last chance qualifying regatta in Lucerne, Switzerland, from May 20:
Men's lightweight four: Curtis Rapley, James Lassche, Graham Oberlin-Brown, Duncan Grant
Men's eight: Richard Harrison, Hamish Burson, Tobias Wehr-Candler, Adam Tripp, Ian Seymour, Ben Hammond, Fergus Fauvel, David Eade and cox Ivan Pavich.
