Rowing Australia (RA) has effectively reopened the door to Olympic selection for overlooked oarswomen following criticism its cursed boat – the women’s eight – will not compete in London.

After the Australian Womensport and Recreation Association (AWRA) took a swipe at rowing officials for failing to foster enough female talent and not making a serious attempt to qualify the feature boat for the 2012 Games, RA said on Wednesday it would consider promoting new rowers to the team.

Any new rowers would have to meet performance standards at the national titles in Perth, starting March 5.

RA had made smaller boats – the double sculls, quad sculls and pair – its priority women’s crews rather than the eight due to a lack of depth and prolonged failure in the blue-riband event.

Australia has never finished better than fifth in the women’s eight at the Olympics and also suffered the embarrassment of the “Lay Down Sally” drama in Athens eight years ago.

An exhausted Sally Robbins had stopped rowing in the last quarter of the race as Australia went from fourth to finish last, sparking recriminations inside and outside the boat which AWRA president Janice Crosswhite fears still hurt the sport.

Australia also finished last in the final in Beijing.

Only 14 heavyweight women were originally selected for Olympic trialling, for a likely eight spots, and the number was reduced to 13 when Renee Chatterton was cut for not meeting performance requirements in December.

The second and final round of selection trials is scheduled for late March in Penrith but RA chief executive Andrew Dee said overlooked candidates could work their way back into the mix in Perth.

“It’s good news but I think it’s all too late,” Crosswhite told AAP. “It’s too last minute.”

With Australia needing to finish in the top two, edging out either the strong German or Chinese crews at the final Olympic qualification regatta in Lucerne in May, it remains highly unlikely RA will find it feasible to send an eight to Switzerland.

Crosswhite puts the lack of depth in elite women’s rowing down to a failure in developing under-23 oarswomen properly, largely due to the lack of female coaches and officials in “a male-dominated sport”.

“We need a strategic plan to look at development,” she said. “Something’s been missed here. Rowing’s now aware of it and hopefully they do something about it.”