In 2021, she was selected to represent Australia in the coxless four event at the delayed 2020 Summer Olympics, where she won the gold medal.

He was a 1986 world champion, a dual Olympian and won bronze in the Australian men's eight at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics.

Rosemary's US born mother Susan Chapman won Australia's first Olympic medal in women's rowing – a bronze in the coxed four at Los Angeles.

Popa first made state selection for Victoria in the 2009 youth eight contesting the Bicentennial Cup at the Interstate Regatta within the Australian Rowing Championships.

[5] Following her return to Australia, Popa was selected in the 2018 Victorian state women's senior eight to contest the Queen's Cup at the Interstate Regatta within the Australian Rowing Championships.

[14] The following week back in the coxless four, Popa won another gold at the World Rowing Cup III in Lucerne.

At those championships in Plovdiv the Australian eight with Popa at three, won their heat and placed third in the final winning the bronze medal.

Popa was selected to race that boat with Annabelle McIntyre and the experienced Olympians Lucy Stephan and Jessica Morrison.

In the final they led from the start, were challenged hard to the finish by the Dutch crew but took the gold in an Olympic best time.