Rowing Report

Rowing Report  - Lent Term 2016

 Although fast stream kept us off the water for about two weeks in total – a particular hindrance to our beginners – it was high wind that cancelled early events in the term.

We took a large contingent to Avon Head, where we enjoyed six wins, with an embryonic boys’ 1^st Eight second overall to Bristol University and all our junior crews, both boys and girls, generally more technically proficient than in recent years – a tribute to both their coaches and a much improved coaching ratio over the last two years thanks to the employment of external coaches. The same day, crews from our girls’ Senior and J16 squads competed at the highly competitive Reading Head, both having solid rows. The Senior girls then competed in the Women’s Head of the River, a national event for clubs, schools and international crews, as a warm-up and course practice for the Schools’ Head last week.

Frustratingly, injury and illness led to us scratching two of the six crews entered for the Schools’ Head, including the boys’ 1^st Eight. It was left to the girls’ 1^st Eight to fly the flag at the top end and they did not disappoint, winning a newly created category of “Girls’ 1^st Eights” as reward for their good preparation and performance. Well done to Phoebe Rowe, Elsie Rennie, Ellie Woodhouse, Phoebe Hessian, Annie Cook, Nina Giambrone, Alex Dunn, Katie Giambrone and cox Charlotte Crane. Also, not forgetting Sophie Seager, who is still very much in contention for a place in the crew.

The following day, at the National Sculling Head, there were several good performances but, again, one crew stood out – our J14 boys’ A quad of Ollie Andrews-Hirons, Alex Spiers, Ollie Malcolm, Alasdair Harris and cox Tom Wilkinson – who were placed fourth out of forty three quads and were the top school crew in the event. This is a most impressive result.

Finally, at Great Britain Trials, Rory Harris kept himself well in the frame for further selection with an invitation to both Spring Assessments and a high performance training camp in Belgium, along with senior athletes. Ed Digby, as a result of his performance in a single, earned himself an invitation to a GB J16 sculling camp, aimed at bringing on in crew boats those with good potential for the 2017/18 World Championship and Coupe de la Jeunesse crews.