Glover powers to top of World Rowing Top 10 rankings for 2015 season

Britain's Helen Glover (left) has finished the 2015 season on top of the World Rowing Top 10 rankings list ©Getty Images

Britain’s Helen Glover has surged to the summit of the World Rowing Top 10 rankings for 2015 after another dominant season which saw her retain her status as an Olympic, world and European champion alongside partner Heather Stanning.

Glover, second on last year's end-of-season list, took pairs gold with Stanning at the World Championships in Aiguebelette, France, to maintain the duo's unbeaten record this year.

She has also not lost a race since they won the Olympic title on home waters at London 2012, while Stanning, who took a year off after their triumph three years’ ago, is sixth on the rankings list.

The pair will get the chance to earn a second consecutive Olympic gold after their performance in France saw them qualify for Rio 2016.

It also proved to be a successful season for the Americans, whose women’s eight crew, the current world and Olympic champions, picked up their 10th straight victory by claiming gold at the World Championships and they have five women in the top 10.

Lauren Schmetterling is the highest placed American, second behind Glover, a marked improvement from 2014 where she was 10th, and she sits ahead of compatriots Amanda Polk, Meghan Musnicki and Victoria Opitz, with Heidi Robbins in eighth.

New Zealand's Eric Murray finished top of the men's rankings ©Getty Images

Eric Murray, world and Olympic champion along with team-mate Hamish Bond, keeps his place as the planet’s number one male rower after the New Zealand pair successfully defended their title in Aiguebelette.

Bond is ranked at world number two, with Croatian brothers Valent and Martin Sinkovic third and fourth respectively.

The duo, both part of the men’s quadruple sculls team which won silver at London 2012, made a successful transition into the double sculls in 2014, winning world title.

They were then able to defend their crown this year and their performances see them move up from their 2014 positions of sixth and seventh.

Britain then dominate the list, with double Olympic gold medallist Pete Reed the country's highest ranked rower in fifth.

Alex Gregory, George Nash, Mohamed Sbihi and William Satch, all of whom were members of the men’s eight team which pipped Germany to World Championships gold, have made the top 10.