By Bruce Archer

The GB Rowing Team line-up for the second stage of the Samsung World Cup was announced at Caversham’s Redgrave Pincent Rowing Lakes yesterday morning.

Included in the squad as part of the men’s eight was double Olympic gold medalist Andrew Triggs Hodge, of Molesey Boat Club.

Hodge, who rowed in a four during the Olympics made the change to an eight for the opening stage of the World Cup in Sydney earlier in the year and the team claimed the gold medal, and he believes they’re in with a good chance of repeating that at Eton Dorney, from June 21.

He said: “There’s a huge difference being in an eight. It’s more mentally with the challenge of getting everyone in the same rhythm but when everybody is in tune the boat really flies.

“We’re showing moments of the great potential we’ve got, and the more we tune that into the race pace I think we’ve got a really good chance of doing something good.”

The World Cup returns to Britain for the first time since 2005 and the GB team are currently second behind Australia, who had a successful time on their own waters and Hodge is hoping the home crowd will be just as influential as it was last year, in the London Olympic Games.

He said: “I’m really looking forward to competing in front of the home crowd again.

"It will be different from last year and will feel more like a World Cup but whenever you’re compete wearing the Union Jack and in front of the home support it’s special.

“I haven’t been back to Eton Dorney since last year, but I always like to approach training and competitions in the present rather than being too nostalgic or looking ahead, so we’ll try and execute what we can do on the day and make sure we’re performing our best.”

The Eton Dorney stage is the second of the World Cup and is followed by the final regatta in Lucerne, Switzerland, from July 12. The GB Rowing team are currently second with 68 points, ahead of New Zealand in third with 55, but behind Australia who lead with 81.