Rowing Australia has named a 61-athlete Rowsellas squad across 13 boats for the 2026 World Rowing Championships in Amsterdam from 24 to 30 August.
Photo Australia’s women’s four celebrate winning their World Rowing Cup III silver medal in Lucerne, Switzerland.
The squad, announced on Friday, covers the two open programmes and Para rowing. It was selected after trials in Australia and Italy, with performances at World Rowing Cup III in Lucerne also carrying weight.
Seven athletes will make their senior World Championship debuts on the Bosbaan, while Austin Reinehr returns from a rib injury to rejoin the men’s eight.
Thirteen boats for the Bosbaan
Australia will field five men’s boats: the M2x, M4x, M2-, M4- and M8+. Five reserves have also been selected.
The women’s programme will contest the W1x, W4x, W2-, W4- and W8+, supported by six reserves. Australia’s Para entry comprises the PR1 M1x and PR3 Mix2x, with a PR3 Mix4+ rounding out the programme and one reserve travelling.
Emily Sheppard has earned selection in the women’s quadruple scull, while Samantha Morton joins the women’s eight. Marcus Della Marta will make his senior Worlds debut in the men’s quad and Benjamin Scott has been named in the men’s four.
The three Para debutants are Ella Marshall in the PR3 mixed double, plus Wallis Russell and Cormac Hayes in the PR3 mixed coxed four.
Each will be awarded a numbered McVilly-Pearce Pin by Rowing Australia once an athlete first represents the country at senior elite level in a World Championships or major multisport Games.
Reinehr returns to the eight
Selectors retained the core of the men’s eight , which took bronze at World Cup III in Lucerne from 26 to 28 June. Reinehr, who missed that regatta because of his rib injury, is the only change to the boat.
The Amsterdam squad is built around the senior Australian team that raced in Lucerne, while performances from the Australia A group also influenced selection. Rowing Australia said athletes from that pathway squad earned places through their racing in Lucerne and the subsequent trials.
Rowing Australia Performance Director Paul Thompson MBE described the squad as an emerging group focused on the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
“We have an emerging talented team with LA in their sights. There is a mix of youthful dynamic rowers and returning Olympians, and they have merged well for success over the World Cup season,” Thompson said.
Final trials split across two continents
After Lucerne, the men stayed in northern Italy, where they trained and finished their final trials on Lake Varese while based at the Australian Institute of Sport’s European Training Centre at Gavirate.
The women returned to the Hancock Prospecting Women’s National Training Centre on the Nepean River in Penrith for their last selection work. Australia’s Para rowers resumed training between the Reinhold Batschi National Training Centre at Lake Burley Griffin and the Gold Coast.
“The team speed and depth has been building and crews are looking forward to doing themselves proud in Amsterdam,” Thompson said.
The World Championships begin on the Bosbaan on 24 August and conclude on 30 August.
