READING'S Sam Townsend and Bill Lucas have been selected to race for the GB Rowing team at the opening world cup of the season in Belgrade from May 4-6.

Wednesday's GB announcement at Caversham Lakes confirmed that the duo, both part of Reading University Boat Club, will race in the men's double scull as part of a major reshuffle of the sculling squads.

They last raced together at a world cup in early 2011 when they took silver in a GB one-two at that event.

Alan Campbell remains in the single, leaving five strong candidates for the quad, one of whom is RUBC's Charles Cousins.

Will Satch, who went to Shiplake College, will race in one of two pairs with 2011 World U23 gold medallist George Nash while Windsor's Adam Freeman-Pask will race in the non-Olympic class lightweight men's pair with Paul Mattick.

Rob Williams from Maidenhead is back in the lightweight men's four in which he won World bronze last summer and World gold in 2010. He will race with brothers Peter and Richard Chambers and Chris Bartley.

"World Cups are important competitions in their own right but this one will be more significant than usual as it gives us the first glimpse of the potential 2012 racing form of our crews", said GB Rowing Team Performance Director David Tanner.

The first world cup in Belgrade is followed by Lucerne from May 25-27 and then Munich from June 15-17.