LOCAL rowers with hopes of Olympic selection feature prominently in Great Britain's team for the European Championships, writes JOHN WIGGINS.

Wheatley’s Fran Houghton is aiming to compete at a fifth Olympics, but does so with a switch to the eight after four Olympic regattas and two silver medals as a sculler.

Joining her in Brandenburg, Germany, next month will be former Headington School rower, Katie Greves and, from Oxford Brookes, Olivia Carnegie-Brown as well as Oxford University graduate Zoe Lee, who lives in Rose Hill.

The men’s eight includes the return to action of double Olympic champion and Oxford Blue, Andrew Triggs Hodge after missing last year with illness, as well as Pete Reed.

Another Blue, Paul Bennett, is selected with Brookes alumnus, Scott Durrant.

As expected, the leading men’s hope is, again, the coxless four.

It contains Constantine Louloudis and George Nash, along with Alex Gregory and Moe Sbihi – all from the gold medal winning 2015 World Championship eight.

The pair at the 2016 European Championships is to be the Leander combination of Alan Sinclair and former St Edward’s schoolboy, Stewart Innes – though don’t be surprised if these two aren’t tried in the eight at some point.

The Lightweight team features Brookes alumni, Peter Chambers in the four and his brother, Richard again in the double scull while current student, Joel Cassells is selected in the pair.