O'Leary selected for NZ team

NATIONAL HONOURS: Martyn O'Leary, seen here competing for Wanganui Collegiate, has just been named in the New Zealand Under-21 team.PHOTO/FILE A-030212WCSMROWING6

Former Aramoho Wanganui Rowing Club member and Collegiate student Martyn O'Leary has been selected for the New Zealand Under-21 team to face Australia in two transtasman regattas this winter.

O'Leary, 20, will form a Men's Coxless Pairs crew with fellow Waikato RPC member Charlie Rogerson.

The New Zealand team consists of two men's and women's coxless pairs, two heavyweight single scullers for men and women, and one crew of each gender in the lightweight double scull.

They will meet the Australians in Sydney from July 2-4, and then again at Lake Karapiro, August 27-29.

The team was chosen after a training camp at Lake Karapiro.

O'Leary was a New Zealand triallist at Under-18 level, and won medals while with AWRC at the North Island and NZ Rowing Champs last year.

Father Chris O'Leary said since his son has moved up to Waikato RPC, he has come under the coaching of Olympic gold medallist Nathan Cohen, who recently came back into the sport after his retirement as a competitor at the end of 2013.

"He feels quite lucky he has someone like that [to learn from]," Mr O'Leary said.