WA Rowers to Contest World Cup II in Poznan

Rowing Australia will send 17 crews to compete at World Cup II in Poznan which starts this Friday.

The team includes five Western Australian athletes, three of whom hold previous Olympic or senior World Championship experience.

2018 World Championships silver medallist David Watts will return to World Cup duty as a member of the men’s quad scull crew, where he’ll team with Caleb Antill, Cameron Girdlestone and Alexander Purnell.

The crew contains three of its members from last year’s podium success in Bulgaria, with Girdlestone having come in to replace Campbell Watts, who will now row with Hamish Playfair in the double.

Josh Hicks – who won world championship gold in 2017 and 2018 as a member of the men’s four – will compete in the men’s eight in Poland, where he will be joined by fellow world champion teammate Spencer Turrin.

Annabelle McIntyre had a breakout season in 2018 which helped land her the WAIS Junior Athlete of the Year title and she is set for a busy campaign in Poznan with rows in the women’s pair and women’s eight.

In the pair, she’ll join Victorian Jessica Morrison, whilst both women will also jump in the eight, to compete in a crew that includes WA’s Bronwyn Cox. Cox has previously competed successfully at U23 world championship level.

The women’s eight crew (including McIntyre) won a bronze medal at last year’s World Championships breaking a 12 year medal drought for Australia. This is the crew’s first opportunity to assess the international depth of talent contesting the event in 2019.

WA athlete Lilly Tinapple will also compete in the women’s pair where she will team up with NSW talent Georgina Gotch.

Tinapple joined the National Training Centre in Penrith after earning invitation in October of last year.