Battersby was first selected to represent New South Wales in the 1978 youth eight contesting the Noel F Wilkinson Trophy at the Interstate Regatta within the Australian Rowing Championships. He was then selected in the New South Wales U23 squad who contested a 1979 Trans Tasman series against New Zealand.[1] In 1981 Battersby was selected in the New South Wales senior men's eight who contested the King's Cup at the Interstate Regatta.[2] He made further King's Cup appearances for New South Wales in 1982 and 1984 and won that title in 1984.[3]
In a composite New South Wales selection four with Jordi Martin, Graeme Jones and Graham Edmunds, Battersby won the 1981 Australian national coxed four title.[4] He contested the men's coxless pair and the men's coxed pair at the 1982 Australian Rowing Championships. With Steve Evans, Craig Muller and Rick Goodrich, in an all-Mosman crew Battersby won the Australian national coxed four title in 1984. That crew was coached by Rusty Robertson.[5]
Battersby was first selected to Australian representation in 1981 in a coxed four who raced at the 1981 World Rowing Championships in Munich to a sixth placing.[6] In 1983 Battersby secured the five seat of the Australian eight selected within a limited squad sent to the 1983 World Rowing Championships in Duisburg Germany.[6] The eight performed well in lead up regattas at Vichy, Ratzeburg and Nottingham. In the final at the World Championships the Australian crew drew a bad lane and lost the benefit of the tail breeze however they raced a strong second 1000m and finished in third place for a bronze medal.[7][6]
The Australian eight selected for the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics was built around the national champion Mosman Rowing Club coxed four and included Evans, Muller and Battersby.[8] Battersby was selected in the six seat. The Australian eight finished third in the final winning bronze behind Canada and the USA.[9]
