RUGBY fan Tom James is convinced Great Britain's rowers can break their Olympic medals record by invoking the spirit and ethos of the All Blacks.

James, 24, will race in the coxless fours after being confirmed in Britain's biggest rowing team since the 1992 Barcelona Olympics, with 43 athletes and 12 boats heading to Beijing.

For the first time since the 1980 Moscow Olympics, the British rowing team will be without either Sir Steve Redgrave or Matthew Pinsent.

But James is determined the class of 2008 can prove British rowing is about more than just two iconic athletes.

British rowing's performance director Dave Tanner has set an official target of four medals in Beijing - the same as Britain won at Athens in 2004 - but James wants Team GB to go at least one better.

Britain head into the Olympics on the back of successful World Cup series defence, full of confidence and driven by a competitive attitude James compares with New Zealand's rugby team.

We have a big squad, we have been very successful this year and we are looking for a good medal haul come Beijing. It is exciting,'' said James.

We have not got those two household names and there is a different perspective now. They have helped bring British rowing to the front and shown we are a very dominant country in the sport.

Now it is about continuing that. We have a good foundation of rowers going to Beijing and a lot of medal chances.

It would be really great for British rowing to better what has happened at the last couple of Olympics. It would show we have moved on as a sport.

There is great morale in the squad because we know the programme is working. It feels more like a club environment and the best comparison I can make to our approach is the New Zealand rugby team.

Every time they go out they have the expectation to dominate.

It comes right from the start, when they do the haka. There is no sign of weakness anywhere. I think that is pretty important for us to take through. We are going to the Olympics to win, not to faff around."