Lake Karapiro is the setting for the battle - between 49 national teams - which has been organised by FISA, the International Rowing Federation, from October 31 to November 7.

The United States has sent the largest team, with athletes represented in all of the 14 Olympic class events as well as the eight international events and two of the five adaptive events.

The US have high hopes of repeating their title performance in the women's eight and new hopes in the lightweight women's double sculls featuring indoor rowing record holder Ursula Grobler and partner Abelyn Broughton.

The Americans are also strong in the women's pair with Susan Francia and Erin Cafaro hoping to defend their 2009 World Champion title.

But New Zealand has a new pair on the scene - experienced Juliette Haigh with newcomer Rebecca Scown will be strong competition to Francia and Cafaro as well as the Romanians.

Great Britain go to the World Championships on the back of an impressive season where they finished well out in front having won the overall Rowing World Cup.

Leading the way is the women's double sculls of Katherine Grainger and Anna Watkins (pictured), Rowing World Cup winners.

But many British eyes will be focused on the men's pair and their duo of Peter Reed and Andrew Triggs Hodge.

Reed and Hodge will face their nemesis, New Zealanders Eric Murray and Hamish Bond, on the waters of Lake Karapiro.

Murray and Bond have spent the last two years in very close competition with Reed and Hodge, but the British duo are not giving up.

Karapiro is going to be another showdown.

New Zealand is in the midst of a rowing resurgence, and four-time World Champion in the single, Mahe Drysdale, is a household name throughout the country.

The men's single scull will be keenly watched by the country as Drysdale goes after World Champion title number five under stiff competition from the Czech Republic's Ondrej Synek who won this year's Rowing World Cup title.

In the other Blue Riband events, the men's eight sees Germany in a good position to defend their 2009 World title.

The Germans come to Karapiro unbeaten this season despite strong attempts from the best of the world's eights including Poland, Canada, Australia and Great Britain.

A full programme of the Paralympic rowing events will take place and will include the 2009 Adaptive Rowing Athlete of the Year Tom Aggar (GBR) in the men's single as well as the return of 2008 Paralympic Champion Helene Raynsford (GBR) in the adaptive women's single sculls.

Tucked in between dairy farms and horse breeding ranches, Lake Karapiro - which hosted these championships back in 1978 - has been transformed into a spectacular international sporting venue.

With crowds expected to exceed 60,000 over the eight-day regatta, facilities are in place to ensure spectators are well catered for and well entertained.

This is the first time the World Rowing Championships has been held in the southern hemisphere in 20 years and the first time back in New Zealand for 32 years.

For the first time ever, the A Finals of the World Rowing Championships will be raced over four days, from November 4-7, a change which came about in an attempt to improve and increase international media and television coverage of World Rowing's flagship event.