Sky Television has been a very valued member of the rowing community for many years now – being an integral part of the offering rowing is able to make to sponsors and enthusiasts alike.

She’s been around for almost a decade, but Paula Twining is only 27 year old and very much in her prime when it comes to international female rowers. She’s had highs and lows throughout her long rowing career, but is one of the most experienced New Zealand international rowers of all time and is back for more, and for 2010 returns to the boat that gave her the only elite medal she has to her name – so far – a silver. 2010 and home water might change all of that, however. OarSport caught up with Paula just before the 2010 nationals for a chat.

A study of high-performance rowing coaches in the UK has found that they spent more time talking to the coxswain than any other rower during a training session. While coaches identified a bias, they were not aware that as much as 53% of their comments were directed at the coxswain.

Don Rowlands – one of the best known names in world rowing – and a Kiwi legend. He was competing at the top level in the Empire games long before it became the Commonwealth Games and is still very active and involved at many levels of the sport. His contribution to the sport, like many others who have been involved for decades, is immeasurable. OarSport was delighted to catch up with Don at the Aon Maadi to reflect on the sport in New Zealand.

In recent years, one of the things that has surprised the international rowing community whenever any have visited Lake Karapiro is that the success of our athletes at every level of international rowing competition has been achieved from relatively humble facilities.

It is times like these that I remember why I spend day after day rowing up and down a stretch of water backwards. Every now and then I pinch myself and realize how lucky I am to be given such opportunities. The past few weeks have been a blast.

I find myself once again writing to you aboard a Singapore Airlines flight, bound for Frankfurt. Four hours into a 10-hour flight, this is certainly not the best part of my job.

Recently an Otago University Rowing Men's Eight flew to Chengdu in China’s Sichuan province to race against six other universities from around the world for the “Longhu Cup, International Universities Rowing Performance and Dragon Boat Festival.”

I have been thinking about writing this update for about four months now, in fact the last time I was in touch was November 08. It is now nearly May 09 and it feels like just yesterday that I was stepping off a plane from London and embarking on summer training. With winter at our doorstep I figure now it is time for a long overdue catch up!

Increased power and performance while racing, better recovery after training and competing – better, stronger, faster than before - if you are old enough this sounds like the start of the 1970’s television show The Six Million Dollar Man, but compression garments are proving their worth as a must have item in athletes kit bags.

Controversial, successful, outspoken – all words that could have been used to describe 2007 world champion Eric Murray but one thing remains, a burning desire to be a winner at the highest level.

There is a familiar sound in rowing, as much as the sound of the hotter at the start and finish of each race. It’s probably been heard by 99% of rowers and it’s an un-mistakable sound. The sound of a boat getting damaged!

You could be forgiven if you couldn’t remember what the colors of the St Georges rowing club were five years ago, however today its a different story, the St Georges RC is a fine example of one of our more modest ‘grass roots’ clubs making somewhat of a resurgence, with record numbers at all levels and impressive results to boot.

This month I thought I would write something about alcohol consumption in the athlete, now that we are into the off season. Alcohol is a drug, just like any other, and doctors prescribe drugs every day. We are all aware of the need to get the dosage right and this is particularly important with alcohol. Taken in the appropriate dosage, it is a social lubricant; your jokes are funnier, members of the opposite sex appear more attractive and you have a great time.

I have now had time to settle into Village life, my daily routine is becoming second nature and funnily enough it is not much different to a day in NZ. Breakfast, training, rest, lunch, training, home, dinner, sleep.

When Rob and Mahé went head to head, it made for some spectacular viewing and gave the sport in the country (and the world) a bit of a well timed boost before the Olympic Games. It had the lot. Drama, tension, excitement, triumph and tragedy. Everything, in fact, that you might just think would make a good movie. One or two people even wrote to Rowing New Zealand suggesting as much. One even suggested we contact Peter Jackson. Unfortunately, he wasn’t in the phone book.

At 8pm on the 8th of the 8th 2008 the Beijing Olympic Games begin. I am lying on my bed in the 8th floor of block B8 inside ‘Bro Town’ – New Zealand’s home in the Olympic Village. The number 8 is very lucky in Chinese culture and it seems all of Rowing New Zealand’s 8’s seem to be aligning. Eight crews all with the aim of bringing home eight medals.