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Verdonk died of cancer on 3 April 2020 in Auckland, at the age of 60.

Following his retirement, Verdonk worked for Waitakere Sports Association, and from 2017, Verdonk was the head coach of the rowing club at Takapuna Grammar School. In March 2020, the school made him a lifetime member of their rowing club. Also in 2020, the New Zealand Rowing Foundation awarded Verdonk a medal for his contributions to rowing in New Zealand.

In 1994, Verdonk won the double sculls event at the Commonwealth Championships in Ontario, Canada, and finished second in the quad scull event. Verdonk also won a single sculls event at the Henley Royal Regatta, becoming the first New Zealander to win the event. Another year, Verdonk came second in the single sculls event at the Henley Royal Regatta. He won seven consecutive New Zealand single skulls national championships between 1987 and 1993. He won six New Zealand double skulls national championships, with four different partners.

In total, he competed at five World Rowing Championships, and his best result was third, at the 1990 in Tasmania, Australia. Verdonk was sixth in the single sculls at the 1987 World Rowing Championships in Copenhagen, and was fifth in the single sculls at the 1991 World Rowing Championships in Vienna.

At the 1986 Commonwealth Games in Edinburgh, Verdonk won a bronze medal in the single sculls; the race was won by Steve Redgrave. He also came fourth in the double sculls event at the Games. At the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul, Verdonk competed in the single sculls. He won his heat, came third in his semi-final, and finished third in the final behind Thomas Lange and Peter-Michael Kolbe. At the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona, Verdonk finished fourth, and at one point in the race was 0.62 seconds behind Pole Kajetan Broniewski, who finished third.

Verdonk began rowing at Westlake Boys High School in Forrest Hill, Auckland. In 1976, he won the Maadi Cup. He was a member of the North Shore Rowing Club, joining the club in 1973.

Eric Franciscus Maria Verdonk (28 May 1959 – 3 April 2020) was a New Zealand rower who won bronze medals in the single sculls events at the 1988 Summer Olympics, 1986 Commonwealth Games, and 1990 World Rowing Championships.