World champions and former winners come out in force for the Gallagher Great Race

New Zealand’s rowing world champions are all set to come out in force for Hamilton’s Gallagher Great Race on September 5th to cheer on the home team from Waikato University.

Four time world champion Mahé Drysdale and undisputed men’s pair world champion Eric Murray, as well as world champions and former Gallagher Great Race winners Duncan Grant, Olympic bronze medallist Nathan Twaddle, Rebecca Scown and Juliette Haigh and world champion lightweight double sculler Peter Taylor should all be out cheering their up and coming rowing colleagues on against Boat Race winners Cambridge University.

The athletes are lending their support to the event as part of the build up to the rowing World Championships that will take place between October 31st and November 7th and will be watching and cheering from the riverbank as well as signing autographs for the spectators.

“It will be great to get out and cheer on the Waikato crews,” said former women’s crew stroke Rebecca Scown, who was keen to race in the event this year but missed out because of her preparation in the women’s pair for the World Championships where she will be partnered by 2005 world champion Juliette Haigh, another former Gallagher Great Race winner who was in the winning Waikato boat in 2006.

“There’s something very special about the race for rowing and for Hamilton and as a competitor I can say it is one of the most challenging races in rowing in terms of the course and the distance. It’s a huge day for the university, for Hamilton, for rowing, for the crews and for the spectators.”

The men’s race will kick off at 1.00pm with the women’s race starting half an hour earlier. There will be a huge range of off water activities to keep people entertained on Father’s Day, including a rowing challenge in the World Rowing Championships RowBox, the mighty River Power One Million Metre row and all of the usual stalls and attractions.