Rowing Down Under
Catch-up on all the action from the Australian Rowing Championships
Image Credit: Rowing Australia
The 2024 Bicentennial Cup will live in the memory of the Queensland crew, who won their first title since 2016 by just under three seconds. This year’s winners are unlikely to win by that much, with four states having serious shots at the title and another a good chance of a medal.
New South Wales
It’s not often an eight from New South Wales aren’t among the favourites, and that’s certainly the case here. The sky blue crew of Leisel Page, Addison Roles, Alexandra O’Brien, Georgia Allen, Madeline Manins, Madeleine Swain, Leila Gaston, Nicole Vance and Chloe Jureta have all had solid starts to the 2025 Australian Rowing Championships, with Vance and O’Brien winning silver in the U21 pairs A-final and Gaston and Allen making the U21 singles A-final.
Queensland
They’re the defending champions, although with only three returning from that crew. Georgia Montague, Gabrielle Ryan, Georgia Campbell, Grace Turnbull, Eliza Bridgefoot, Sophie Malcolm, Scarlett Woodbury, Sarah Bourke and Grace Bentley will look to bring the Bicentennial Cup back to Brisbane, with Montague, Malcolm and Bridgefoot all part of last year’s crew. Woodbury, Bourke, Montague, Campbell and Turnbull made the U21 pairs A-final and will want to bring that form to the maroon zootie. Bridgefoot also won silver in the U23 sculls despite rowing up an age group.
South Australia
Say it quietly, but something is building in South Australia. While not quite at the level of the top four states, the crew of Tamara Bates, Grace Barrera, Felicity Cox, Anja Felderhof, Imogen Hawker, Daisy Holland, Emily Laing, Caroline McNally and Emma Venus could find themselves in medal contention with a good row. McNally easily qualified for the A-final of the U21 singles, while Laing made the U21 lightweight single A-final and the U21 double final with Felderhof.
Tasmania
The Tasmanians always do their best to fill crews, with Matilda Cocker, Olivia Yeates, Ashlee Cherry, Emma Johnson, Lilly Barker, Noa Ravai, Poppy Kennett, Alannah Edwards and Josie Johnston pulling on the green zooties in the Bicentennial Cup. Barker and Ravai just missed the A-final in the U21 pairs, while Cocker made the A-final in the U19 singles.
Victoria
There’s plenty of international representation for Victoria in 2025. Lucinda Johnstone, Lola Dahan, Lulu Burney, Frankie Dever, Olivia Nairn, Mackenzie Kopke-Veldhuis, Chloe Nevins, Meg Dumbrell and Ivy Jones are listed to pull on the Big V and will consider themselves among the favourites. Burney, Dever, and Johnstone all raced in the Australian U19 coxed four in 2024, with Johnstone, Dumbrell and Nevins making the A-final in the U21 pairs.
Western Australia
There’s also plenty of international talent in the Western Australian crew. Lara Connolly, Isabella Edinger, Lyla Fievez, Charlotte Hansen-Knarhoi, Juliet Kelly, Emma Pittman, Sinead Reading, Greta Spencer and Angelie Ng pull on the yellow of the west this year and are one of the deserved favourites. Fievez and Spencer are two-time Australian junior representatives and new U21 pairs champions, while Kelly raced the Australian quad at the U19 World Rowing Championships in St Catharines in Canada. They finished 14 seconds back from Queensland in 2024 but will return stronger and faster in 2025.
Prediction
Roll a dice and take your pick – any of New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria or Western Australia could take the Bicentennial Cup back with them. We’re tipping Queensland to win back-to-back titles, though, with Western Australia second and New South Wales third.
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