The club is sending men’s and women’s eights to the Henley Royal Regatta on the River Thames in Oxfordshire, England, which runs from July 2-7.
It attracts more than 300,000 visitors each year to watch 300 races spread across six days of elite competition.
The regatta includes events for the top clubs, schools, universities and national teams across the world.
Elite rowers often compete at the regatta as a build-up to the Olympics.
“It’s an exciting opportunity, we are walking into the unknown a little bit," said Logan Keys, Avon Rowing Club manager and head coach of the men’s crew travelling to Henley.
“This is the second time the club has attended Henley and the first with both a men’s and a women’s crew.”
Avon sent a men’s eight in 2017. They were eliminated in the first round.
New Zealand elite rowers regularly attend the regatta but clubs sending crews to the event is rare.
Avon crew member Arlia O’Sullivan said training in a New Zealand winter for the Northern Hemisphere racing wasn’t fun.
“Winter is pretty horrible ... initially I can’t be bothered but once I get out there and warm up after a lap or two I’m fine, but I definitely do miss the summer,” she said.
Because four of the women’s eight study in Dunedin, training together is a challenge.
“It’s cold for us training in Christchurch but those girls in Dunedin are on a whole different level of cold,” said O’Sullivan.
The crew take turns driving to Dunedin or Christchurch so they can all train in the boat together. Occasionally they have met in the middle to train at Lake Ruataniwha in Twizel.
“Our training camps in Twizel are next level. Nobody wants to go out rowing when it’s minus four degrees and your oar is completely frosted over,” said cox Bella Murray.
“But that’s when we remember our why, and we push through it as a squad.
“I do think that while the girls are managing university and work, it’s been pretty challenging for them to keep up good standards with training and eating and sleeping enough . . . [but] they’re a bunch of determined girls, they do it and they get it done,” said Murray.
“The training has been a step up for the girls. They are used to doing 16kms in a summer season session. Now they are doing up to 24km in a single session,” said Murray.
It is costing each rower about $5000 to get to Henley.
Said Keys: “It’s an expensive endeavour but potentially a once in a lifetime opportunity”.
By Jessica Tavendale
