Rowing Report

Rowing report on Reading University and Avon County Heads

This weekend saw the first event of the term for all of our crews, previous ones having been cancelled due to strong stream or wind.

The Senior girls’ eight and J16 girls’ eight raced in Reading University Head against extremely strong opposition. The Senior girls were using it as a test run for the Women’s Head on Tideway the following week and were placed fourth fastest of the J18 eights competing in both divisions, behind Headington, Marlow and Sir William Borlase. A special well done to Sophie Seager for stepping up into the Senior squad and racing in both divisions. The girls J16 eight had solid rows in preparation for the Schools’ Head in mid-March.

The rest of the Boat Club competed in Avon Head near Bath and came away with six wins. An embryonic first eight, with three J16s on board – Digby, Garnier and Symons, won J18 eights and were second overall behind Bristol University 1st eight. The three J16s were joined by Farrant to win J16 fours, while the senior members won in a quad and a single. Particularly pleasing, was to see the standard of technique and competitiveness from our junior crews, both boys and girls. Our J14 and J15 girls were placed third in their categories against strong opposition on the back of very few outings, and our J15 boys recorded a win in a four and second place in an eight. The J14 boys recorded our final win in a quad, their octuple having a very good scull but with no opposition, and our other fours had good rows, just missing out on the silverware.

The previous weekend, Rory Harris and Edward Digby had both attended Great Britain Trials at Boston, Lincolnshire. For Edward, this was his first taste of elite performance and he did well to be placed in the middle of the thirty four J16 scullers competing. Rory had a frustrating and unnerving start to the weekend, being hit in a head-on collision and only avoiding serious injury by a reverse carbon rigger that was shattered by the bows of the errant boat. He did well to recover and record third place the following day thus keeping him well in the frame at this stage. Indeed, along with three other top J18 scullers and more senior GB athletes, Rory has been invited to a GB training camp at Easter.

MW