Of these, six were gold, two were silver and one was bronze.

New Zealand followed in second place with 37 points.

New Zealand's success included two gold medals, two silvers and a bronze.

China finished just one point behind New Zealand with 36 points.

The Chinese success included three silver and three bronze medals.

New Zealand's single sculler Emma Twigg earned the early bragging rights as she beat the home nation's 2013 world champion, Kim Crow, after overhauling her in the final stroke to earn the winning margin by 0.14sec.

It was one of a series of races where gold medallists at last year's World Championships in Chungju, South Korea, were defeated.

New Zealand's single sculler Emma Twigg earned a morale-boosting victory over Australia's world champion Kim Crow at the Sydney World Rowing Cup ©Getty Images

Australia fared better in the women's double sculls, where Olympia Aldersey and Sally Kehoe defeated world champions Donata Vistartaite and Milda Valciukaite of Lithuania.

The Lithuanians closed dramatically on the Australians at the end of the race but had to settle for silver.

But Lithuania's male double scullers Rolandas Mascinskas and Saulius Ritter finished ahead of Australia and Italy.

The Dutch men's four were another world champion crew beaten in Sydney as Australia's 2013 world silver medallists outlasted them.

It was a victory which promised much for the Australian quartet of Angus Moore, Alexander Hill, Spencer Turrin and Alexander Lloyd.

Germany, world champions in the women's quadruple sculls, also finished second as Australia rose to the challenge again.

Germany had two changes to the 2013 winning crew and they could not match the speed of the Australians, who led for the entire race.

The World Rowing Cup series was launched in 1997 and consists of a series of three events.

The overall World Rowing Cup winners are determined after the third event.

The next World Rowing Cup is due to be in Aiguebelette, France, from June 20 until 22 and the final event of the season is scheduled for Lucerne, Switzerland, from July 11 until 13.

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