New Rowing Academy to Launch

An exciting new Rowing ‘Start’ Academy is set to officially launch at Hartpury College on the 7th October in conjunction with the GB Rowing Team Start programme and Gloucester Rowing Club.

The College will welcome special guests David Tanner CBE, the GB Rowing Team Performance Director and Steve Gunn, the GB Rowing Team Start Programme Manager to formally open the Academy. Both David and Steve have enjoyed international success and have coached rowing teams to Olympic gold, silver and bronze medal victories.

The Rowing ‘Start’ Academy, which is the first of it’s kind in the UK, will be open to students studying A levels, BTEC Diplomas or degree programmes at Hartpury College and alongside their academic studies will receive training, coaching and development in the sport. Athletes will have access to a full time rowing coach and a range of world class sporting facilities, as well as full membership and use of the facilities at Gloucester Rowing Club.

Academy athletes will also form part of the GB Rowing Team Start programme, which is a unique talent identification and development initiative, which aims to recruit and develop Olympic rowers. The majority of the recruits onto the programme will never have rowed before, but show the physical potential to reach the highest levels of the sport. Currently there are five athletes in the Hartpury Rowing ‘Start’ Academy, all of whom were selected via the UK Sport ‘Tall and Talented’ programme.

Hartpury’s Rowing Coach Tom Pattichis said: “I am proud and excited to be a part of the new Rowing ‘Start’ Academy and I look forward to the development of the programme. It’s a fantastic opportunity for aspiring rowers who want to develop their skills and compete locally, nationally and internationally.”

Matt Birch, Hartpury College Director of Sport said: “Hartpury is committed to providing extensive educational opportunities for students and the new Academy is another investment in the growing number of sports students on campus.”

The Rowing ‘Start’ Academy will be the seventh sporting academy established at Hartpury and will build on the College’s national reputation for sporting excellence.

The launch is taking place at Hartpury’s Sports Academy on Thursday 7th October at 11am.

View the prospectus

For further information please contact Tom Pattichis – Start Coach
Hartpury College Rowing ‘Start’ Academy
Email: [email protected]    Tel: 01452702322