The time is right for Robbie Manson to return to rowing

Robbie Manson at the 2020 National Champs
Photo: PHOTOSPORT

Rower Robbie Manson felt time was running out if he wanted to have another stint competing at the top level of the sport.

Manson, who officially retired from rowing in 2020, has been selected for next month’s World Cup regatta in Switzerland.

He competed in the quadruple sculls at the 2012 Olympics before switching to the double and winning a World Championship bronze medal in 2015 with Chris Harris.

After finishing 11th at the Rio Olympics, Manson then took on the single sculls, which until then had been dominated by two-time Olympic champion Mahe Drysdale.

He set a world best time while winning a World Cup event in Poland in 2017, but failed to get on the podium at successive World Championships.

After qualifying the boat for the Tokyo Olympics, Manson decided to take a break.

Since then has been working with horses, he was also a personal trainer and coached a couple of masters rowers.

The 33 year old joined in a did a few masters races with his brother and that sparked the enjoyment in rowing again.

The end of his first stint with international rowing hadn’t gone as planned admitting that he had put a lot of pressure on himself, but Manson says he now has a bit more perspective about his rowing career.

“I didn’t have a set agenda coming back into it and if I was fast then it was a possibility.”

That led to him returning to Cambridge to row for the Waikato Club and competing in the club season last summer.

He had decided that he would do the club season and then be done with it as he was apprehensive about going back to international rowing because of how I felt at the end of it last time around.

“I was nervous about getting back into the system and being really unhappy and feeling like I’d made a terrible decision.”

Robbie Manson rowing for New Zealand in the single sculls
Photo: PHOTOSPORT

However he went faster than he’d expected to and was relatively competitive so he thought he’d give it a crack.

“Since being back in there with the squad we’ve got, I’ve really enjoyed it more than I expected to.

“I’m not phyically the best I’ve ever been but there’s no reason why I can’t get back there with more time over the next year or so with the main goal to qualify the double for next year’s Olympics.

Two men’s double scull crews have been named for the next World Cup regatta in Switzerland.

He’s teamed up with Ben Mason, while Jordan Parry and Jack Ready are the other crew under the guidance of coach Gary Roberts.

“We’re a really tight team, we get along really well and support each other even though we are competing for seats against each other.

Manson did think about giving the single another go this year, but wasn’t where he wanted to be to be competitive and so the double is the best boat for me now.

“Everyone says the single is the best boat when it’s going well and the worst when it’s not, just because you’re on your own.”

He says he’d love to get to the Olympics, probably in the double, but wouldn’t discount the single or even a quad.

There were a few things I missed being away from rowing, being part of a team and having people around you that are all striving for the same goal.

“As I’m getting older I did feel there is only a limited time I can do this and so I’m really wanting to enjoy it and make the most of it.