Laura Gourley (born 28 May 2002) is an Australian representative rower. She is a three-time Australian underage champion, has represented at U23 World Championships and in 2023 made the Australian senior squad.

Club and state rowing

Gourley, who is from Narrabri in north-western NSW, attended school at

Loreto Normanhurst , motto_translation = While I Live, I Trust in the Cross , established = , type = Independent comprehensive single-sex primary and secondary day and boarding school , denomination = Roman Catholic , religious_affiliation = Instit ...

where she took up rowing. Her senior club rowing has been from the

UTS Haberfield Rowing Club UTS Haberfield Rowing Club in Sydney was formed as Haberfield Rowing Club in 1925. It has occupied its current site on Port Jackson's, Iron Cove at Dobroyd Point since 1926. The club had a senior and lightweight Sydney premiership & national com ...

in Sydney. Gourley first made NSW state selection in the 2020 women's youth eight, which didn't race at the Interstate Regatta due to the pandemic. In 2021, she was again selected in the NSW women's youth eight, placing 3rd in the race for the Bicentennial Cup at the Interstate Regatta within the Australian Rowing Championships. She made senior state selection for New South Wales in 2022 when picked in the senior women's eight to contest the Queen's Cup at the Interstate Regatta (2nd place). She rowed again in the NSW Queen's Cup eight of 2023 again to 2nd place. In UTS Haberfield colours Gourley won the U21 women's single scull title at the Australian Rowing Championships in 2021. In 2022 and 2023 she won the U23 single scull Australian championship titles.

International representative rowing

Gourley's Australian representative debut came in 2022 when she was selected as Australia's U23 single sculler to compete at the 2022

U23 World Rowing Championships World Rowing U23 Championships is an international rowing regatta organized by FISA The Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978 ("FISA" , ) is a United States federal law that establishes procedures for the physical and electronic sur ...

in Varese where she finished in 8th place.Gourley at World Rowing
/ref> In March 2023 Gourley was selected in the Australian senior women's sculling squad for the 2023 international season.2023 Australian Squad announcement
/ref> At the Rowing World Cup II in Varese, Italy Gourley raced as Australia's W2X entrant with

Amanda Bateman Amanda Bateman (born 3 July 1996) is an Australian representative rower. She is a national champion, has represented at underage and senior world championships and is a 2021 Tokyo Olympian where she competed in the Australian women's double-s ...

. They made the A final and finished in fourth place. At 2023's WRC III in Lucerne, Gourley and Bateman again raced the W2X. They made the A final and in a tight finish at the back of that field they finished in fourth place. Gourley and Bateman were selected to race Australia's double scull at

2023 World Rowing Championships The 2023 World Rowing Championships were held from 3 to 10 September 2023 in Belgrade, Serbia. Medal summary Medal table Non-Olympic/Paralympic classes Men Women Pararowing References External links Official websiteWorld Rowing websi ...

in Belgrade, Serbia. They placed third in their heat but then won their repechage to qualify through to the A/B semi in which they finished fifth. In the B final they finished 2nd, earnt a 7th place world ranking from the regatta and qualified the boat for Paris 2024.

Sporting family

Laura is the granddaughter of Northern Irish-Australian professional rugby league and rugby union footballer

Robin Gourley Robin Edward Gourley (19 November 1935 – 19 July 2021) was a Northern Irish-Australian professional rugby league and rugby union footballer who played in the 1950s and 1960s. A New South Wales representative front row forward, he played in t ...

who played in the 1950s and 1960s and won two premierships with the St George Dragons. Laura is the niece of

dual-code rugby international A dual-code rugby international is a rugby footballer who has played at the senior international level in both codes of rugby, 13-a-side rugby league and 15-a-side rugby union. Rugby league started as a breakaway version of rugby in Northern Eng ...

Scott Gourley Scott Robert Gourley (born 18 July 1968) is an Australian former rugby league and rugby union footballer who played from 1986-1998 and achieved the status of a dual-code international representing his country in both sports. He made five Test ...

. Her father Ian is Robin's son, Scott's brother.

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Gourlay, Laura 2002 births Living people Australian female rowers 21st-century Australian sportswomen People from the North West Slopes Sportswomen from New South Wales Rowers at the 2024 Summer Olympics Olympic rowers for Australia