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One innovation to the Rowing New Zealand programme this year will be the addition of the Henley Royal Regatta as a chance for a short but competitive breather to the monotony of day-to-day training.
Mahe Drysdale took out the prestigious Diamond Sculls at this venue on the Thames in 2006 but the team has never gone as a whole.
With some careful lobbying, management has been convinced of the regatta's value to break up the intensity engendered by three months close living, all channeled towards the world championships in Poznan, Poland in the last week of August.
The Henley sojourn will be in the first week of July, right between the two World Cup events Kiwi athletes will attend in Munich and Lucerne.
Henley is one of the world's most prestigious regattas and was first contested in 1839. The regatta lasts five days and features head-to-head knockout competitions.
In addition to this, Drysdale is off in a couple of weeks to begin preparations for the Thames Head of the River race on March 21, featuring the seven best scullers in the world and former Olympic double sculls champion Iztok Cop.
They are also up against the Cambridge eight on the Thames on March 18 as part of that crew's build-up to the University Boat Race against Oxford on March 29.
