The eight-day competition, which begins in Lake Karapiro this Sunday (October 31), features a 61-strong British team including the likes of reigning world men's four champions Matt Langridge, Alex Gregory, Ric Egington and Alex Parridge.

"These next 11 months are a crucial part of the Olympic cycle," said Tanner.

"We go to New Zealand with strength in depth and will want to assess progress to date."

Outside the men's four team, Britain have a string of strong medal contenders including winner of single scull silver a year ago Katherine Grainger, who will team up with Anna Watkins (pictured) in the women's double scull.

Grainger, already three-times an Olympic silver medallist, said: "It would have been fascinating to try for both events but we want to focus on the double scull to give ourselves the strongest possible chance of success."



Peter Reed and Andrew Triggs Hodge - Olympic champions in the men's four and World Championship silver medallists in the pair - pit themselves against one of the world's stand-out crews in New Zealand's world champion pairing of Hamish Bond and Eric Murray.

After a string of hard knocks, to gain a first world-level win against Bond and Murray on the Kiwis' home waters would be the stuff of dreams.

Reed said: "I've been really enjoying training in the pair since the project began.

"Of course racing is tough when you're collecting silvers, but we are hard guys and we're constantly improving.

"We're the fastest boat the GB rowing team can field and we've moved on significantly.

"I can't wait to race again."

Other highlights for Britain include reigning Paralympic and world champion Tom Agger - who is so far unbeaten at world level and looking to defend his Paralympic-class men's title - leading off a strong men's sculling section alongside Alan Campbell.

Campbell races the men's single once more after taking silver in 2009 behind the reigning world champion, Mahe Drysdale from New Zealand.

Campbell's season got a timely boost at the world cup finals when he took a silver behind Czech Ondrej Synek but ahead of Drysdale.

"It's such a strong sculling squad now," said Campbell.

"We are all pushing each other on."

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