A ground breaking regatta for New Zealand's male kayakers this weekend in the Czech Republic

Eight of the 12 strong squad contesting the World Cup in Racice are men, with the four strong women's contingent headlined by five times Olympic gold medalist Lisa Carrington.

Canoe sprint racing in New Zealand has been dominated by Carrington and the women's programme since she won Olympic gold in 2012.

But Max Brown who will race with Kurtis Imrie in the K2 500 says they have a lot of male paddlers effectively getting their first taste of elite international competition.