British University Champions Set to Challenge European Counterparts

August 17, 2015

A strong contingent of Henley medallists, BUCS champions, and former EUSA medallists form part of the 73-strong British delegation that will travel to the European Universities Rowing Championships in Hanover, Germany next month.

The crews from 11 different Universities across the UK have been selected following their results at the BUCS Regatta in May this year and will form a composite team to challenge their European counterparts. At last year’s Championships, GBR topped the medal table winning five gold, three silver and three bronze medals, edging out Switzerland and Germany who had both entered more crews than Great Britain.

Commenting on the strength of this year’s delegation Team Manager, James Lee said “I’m delighted that we have managed to form such a strong team this year representing a good mix of Universities. The competition is always tough, but I am hopeful that we have lots of medal contenders.”

The GB Rowing Team selected for the forthcoming World Rowing Championships in Aiguebelette contains many rowers who have previously raced at the EUSA Rowing Championships including Stewart Innes who raced for Reading in 2014 who has recently been named in the men’s four alongside Alan Sinclair who represented East London in 2011.

Oxford Brookes were winners of the Senior Eights at Henley Women’s Regatta earlier this year and half of the crew will race in the women’s four, a category which they won gold in at BUCS Regatta. Brookes were also a dominant force in men’s sweep at BUCS Regatta and throughout the season and will field a men’s eight and four at the EUSA Championships. Seven of the Oxford Brookes men attending EUSA represented Great Britain at the World U23 Championships in Bulgaria this season including Jamie Copus who won silver in the lightweight men’s quad and has subsequently been selected to race at the Senior World Championships which takes place the week before the EUSA Rowing Championships.

Other members of this year’s U23 team who will travel to Hanover include Rufus Scholefield and Henry Millar from Edinburgh, both of whom were in the GB U23 8+ and will race in the pair at EUSA. James Rudkin and Oliver Knight from Newcastle raced in the pair and eight respectively and will form part of the Newcastle four looking to defend their gold medal from the 2014 EUSA Regatta.

Surrey’s Alastair Douglass won a bronze medal in the lightweight men’s four at the World U23 Championships and will join club mate Angus Warren in the men’s double. Douglass was part of the crew which won the Wyfold Challenge Cup at this year’s Henley Royal Regatta. The crew will be coached by Franz Imfeld who coached Douglass to both wins earlier in the season.

Lucy Cruxton will form part of the Reading women’s quad who also have a gold medal to defend from 2014. Cruxton raced in the U23 lightweight quad in both 2014 and 2015.

5 crews from Durham will attend the Championships, the squad including Mimi Carlton and Katy Denham who won silver in the lightweight double at the EUSA Games last year and Alexandra Wood, Kiera Rosenwold and Lucinda Ellaway-Bell who were part of the crew that won academic eights at Henley Women’s Regatta earlier this year. Crews from Durham will include the lightweight men’s and women’s quads and lightweight men’s four, all of which they won comfortably at the 2015 BUCS Regatta.

Jess Elkington and Hannah Traylen will represent Exeter in the lightweight women’s double scull. The duo won a comfortable gold at the 2015 BUCS Regatta and were part of the quad that won gold in a strong field at the 2013 EUSA Rowing Championships in Poznan.

Full details of the 2015 European University Rowing Championships can be seen at: http://www.euc-rowing2015.eu

Progress of the GB Universities Team can be followed via Twitter @GBUniversites.

GB Universities 2015

University of Cambridge (W8+, W4-, W2-)

To be selected from: Fanny Belais, Evelyn Boettcher, Ashton Brown, Oonagh Cousins, Imogen Grant, Fiona Macklin, Daphne Martschenko, Rosemary Ostfield, Hannah Roberts, Isabella Vyvyan, Thea Zabell.

Cardiff University (M1x)

Tom Barras

Durham University (LM4x, LM4-, W4-, LW4x, LW1x)

Finn Abberton, Mimi Carlton, Hugo Coussens, Will Crossley, Katy Denham, Lucinda Ellaway-Bell, Roman Girn, Olivia Howes, Rebecca Knowles, Helena Lang, Kiera Rosenwold, Mary Wilson, Alexandra Wood.

University of Edinburgh (LM2x, M2-, LM1x)

Kieran Brown, Matthew Curtis, Rufus Scholefield, Henry Millar

University of Exeter (LW2x)

Hannah Traylen, Jess Elkington

University of Glasgow (W2-)

Claire Aitken, Emma McDonald

Imperial College, London (LM8+, LM2-, W2x, W1x)

Christopher Au (cox), Jonathon Tyler Baird, Romain Barnoud, Armand Brochard, Fabien Evrard, Dugald Fraser, Myles Holbrough, Paul Jones, Nicola Mason, Harry Mayne, Michelle Vezie.

Newcastle University (M4-, M4x, LM2-)

Alex Bain, Tim Clarke, Tom Ford, Thomas James, Oli Knight, Tom Mountain, George Patrick, James Robson, James Rudkin, Samuel Wilson.

Oxford Brookes University (M8+, M4-, LM2x, W4-)

Morgan Bolding, Harry Brightmore (cox), Jamie Copus, Susie Dear, Rory Gibbs, Michael Glover, Will Hall, Imogen Mackie, Ben Reeves, Danielle Shrosbree, James Stanhope, Henry Swarbrick, Annie Withers, Matthew Aldridge (spare), Ben Reeves (spare).

University of Reading (W4x)

Lucy Cruxton, Poppy Durkan, Catherine Ratcliffe, Rosie Snell.

University of Surrey (M2x)

Alastair Douglass, Angus Warren.

Management Team & Coaches

James Lee – Team Manager

Karl Offord – Assistant Team Manager (Logistics)

Katy Young – Assistant Team Manager (Admin)

Rob Baker – Cambridge

Cameron Kennedy – Durham

Tom Young – Edinburgh

Andy Barton – Glasgow