Paris Medallists Return to Rowing NZ Summer Squad
Lucy Spoors, Brooke Francis, and other Olympic champions rejoin the program on Lake Karāpiro alongside new university recruits.
Key points
- Olympic champions Lucy Spoors and Brooke Francis return to the Summer Squad after two seasons away from the program.
- Tom Murray, Matt Macdonald, Ollie Maclean, and Logan Ullrich rejoin the men's team following their Paris 2024 silver medal performance.
- Six new athletes, including Meg Flanagan and Ben Shortt, join the squad after completing university studies or developing in club programs.
Lucy Spoors and Brooke Francis stepped back onto the grassy bank of Lake Karāpiro this week. They return to the New Zealand Summer Squad after two seasons away. Their gold-medal partners from Paris join them. The water is still.
The air smells of cut grass and lake mud. Oars rest in their racks, dry and sharp. This is not just a roster change. It is a reunion. The veterans bring weight, history, and a specific kind of hunger. The newcomers bring fresh legs and untested fire.
Champions Return to the Lake
Spoors and Francis are back in the water. They won gold in Paris 2024. Now they train with the women’s squad again. Brooke Francis says she misses the company. "It’s been a long Winter doing it mostly on my own," she notes. Her family is there too. The kids watch from the shore. The rhythm of the boat is a shared language.
The men’s side sees a similar wave. Tom Murray and Matt Macdonald return. They took silver in the Men’s Four in Paris. They also won gold in Tokyo 2020. They are joined by Ollie Maclean and Logan Ullrich. That crew is complete. The silver medal from Paris hangs in their minds. The next race is on the water.
Fresh Talent Joins the Ranks
New faces break the surface. Alice Fahey, Katie Lush, Eva Hofmans, and Arie Rasmussen Magasiva enter the squad. They have raced in World Cups before. Now they step up. Their progression reflects strong work last summer. The pathway from club rowing to elite status is visible in their stroke.
Meg Flanagan and Ben Shortt arrive from the United States. They finished their university studies there. Now they return to New Zealand. Rowing New Zealand sees potential in them. They are ready for the next step. The American training camp is behind them. The local water is ahead.
Building for the Next Cycle
Phillip Wilson is back too. He studied and worked overseas for two years. He needed time to let his body recover. Now his heart is back in the boat. "The timing feels right for me," he says. He looks toward Los Angeles. The next few years are the runway.
The mix is deliberate. Experience meets energy. The veterans know how to win. The newcomers know how to push. Rowing New Zealand builds this team for the long game. The lake does not care about medals yet. It only cares about the stroke. The clock is ticking. The work begins now.
