George Bridgewater has completed the maiden step towards the Olympics with selection in this season's national quadruple sculls crew alongside John Storey, Jade Uru and Karl Manson.

Other eights have tried, but come up short; this time with extra funding in place, Rowing New Zealand, tied in with their ambition to be present on the start line in Rio next year in all 14 disciplines, are adopting a no-stone-unturned approach.

Dealing with Brazilian real estate companies and literally testing the waters are among steps being taken by Rowing New Zealand to achieve their Olympic ambitions next year in Rio de Janeiro.

Call it the Evers-Swindell legacy. New Zealand's rowers embark on their international campaign next month with the women's arm of the sport at its strongest.

New Zealand's youthful men's rowing eight will have an early test of their potential in Seattle next week.

The significance of the O'Connors' success is not so much in their victory. The pair exemplify how education and sport can still intertwine.

Christchurch school St Bede's says it has hired Brendon McCullum's lawyer and will support students and staff in the wake of the airport carousel ride fiasco.

Two high school rowers whose parents sought an injunction against their school to allow them to compete in the Maadi Cup regatta have missed out on national trials.

The St Bede's College rowing row will be settled out of court, one of the boy's parents said today.

The Canterbury school at the centre of a controversy around two pupils who were banned from rowing at the Maadi Cup says the board of trustees supports the ban.

Former Olympic rower Rob Hamill backs the two St Bede's College students at centre of legal storm as head teachers fear ruling sets "dangerous precedent".

Out-of-control athletes and supporters forced a bar to close and police to shut down a party of 200 after the NZ Rowing Championships in Twizel at the weekend.

Two top coaches have been expelled from the rowing national championships after being involved in a heated exchange with officials.

Mahe Drysdale was out to make an early impression at the New Zealand rowing championships yesterday, winning his heat in the men's premier single sculls.

The sustained success of Hamish Bond and Eric Murray extended to the supreme prize at the Halberg Awards.

The spectators were as hot as the competitors in the Cambridge Town Cup rowing regatta.

Not owning any canoes or having regular access to water should be a major hurdle for a waka ama club to overcome.