International racing returns for Great Britain: Thirty-nine athletes to compete at European Rowing Championships
The senior international rowing season begins, with thirty-nine athletes selected to represent Great Britain at the European Rowing Championships in Plovdiv, Bulgaria from 29 May to 1 June 2025
Commenting on the team selection Louise Kingsley, British Rowing Director of Performance said: “The start of the new cycle is an exciting time, with a mix of familiar faces and new crews taking to the start line in Plovidiv. We have returning Olympic and Paralympic champions, as well as World, Olympic & Paralympic medallists in the squad. Plus, we welcome the new group of ‘Project LA’ athletes, many of whom have had medal success at U23 level and made their senior debuts at World Rowing Cup 3 in 2024. After a long winter of training, I know everyone is keen to get their season underway and see how we perform against the rest of Europe.”
After winning a thrilling gold medal in the Women’s Quad in Paris, Lauren Henry will be taking on a new challenge, racing in the women’s single sculls (W1x). Her Paris Olympic Champion crew-mate Lola Anderson will return to the Women’s Quadruple Sculls (W4x), joined by Olympic bronze medallist Becky Wilde with Sarah McKay and Cam Nyland making their senior international debuts. The women’s Double Sculls (W2x) sees Vwairé Obukohwo paired with Freya Keto, both racing in their first senior European Championships.
Olympic bronze medal winners in the Women’s Eight, Heidi Long, Lauren Irwin and Eve Stewart are joined by Daisy Bellamy and will all be doubling up to race in the Women’s Four (W4-) and Women’s Eight (W8+). Completing the eight will be the Women’s Pair (W2-) of Eleanor Brinkhoff and Megan Slabbert plus Amelia Standing, Martha Birtles and cox, Jack Tottem.
The Men’s eight will feature a mix of returning and Project LA athletes with Paris 2024 bronze medallist Matt Aldridge joined by Will Stewart, Archie Drummond, Miles Beeson, Fergus Woolnough, David Bewicke-Copley, Sam Nunn, Matt Rowe and cox, Will Denegri. The Men’s four (M4-) sees Joshua Bowesman-Jones making his senior debut, alongside Dan Graham, James Vogel and Jake Wincomb who all raced at World Cup 3 in 2024.
The Men’s quadruple sculls (M4x) comprises Paris Olympians Callum Dixon and Matt Haywood as well as Rory Harris and Bath Performance Development Academy Alumni, Cedol Dafydd. Tobias Schröder is joined by Jamie Gare in the Men’s double sculls (M2x) and Aidan Thompson will race in the Men’s single sculls (M1x).
In Paralympic boats, Paralympic Champion Benjamin Pritchard returns in the PR1 Men’s single sculls (PR1 M1x) and 2024 European Champions and Paralympic silver medallists Sam Murray and Annie Caddick race in the PR3 mixed double sculls (PR3 Mix 2x).
The Great Britain crews racing at the European Rowing Championships in Plovdiv are:
Women’s crews
The women’s squad are coached by Andrew Randell, Darren Whiter, Dan Moore and Helen Brown.
Women’s quadruple sculls (W4x)
Sarah McKay (Leander Club / Grosvenor RC) (Hometown: Stockport)
Lola Anderson (Leander Club / Newcastle University BC) ((Hometown: Richmond)
Cam Nyland (Leander Club) (Hometown: Warrington)
Rebecca Wilde (Leander Club / Bath University BC) (Hometown: Taunton)
Women’s double sculls (W2x)
Vwairé Obukohwo (Twickenham RC) (Hometown: Brixton)
Freya Keto (Thames RC / Cambridge University BC) (Hometown: Washington DC)
Women’s single sculls (W1x)
Lauren Henry (Leicester RC) (Hometown: Lutterworth, Leicestershire)
Women’s eight (W8+)
Heidi Long (Oxford University BC / Leander Club) (Hometown: Chalfont St. Peter)
Daisy Bellamy (Reading University BC) (Hometown: Wokingham)
Amelia Standing (Leander Club / Oxford University BC) (Hometown: Helsby, Cheshire)
Martha Birtles (Oxford Brookes University BC / Oxford University BC) (Hometown: Rossendale, Lancashire)
Lauren Irwin (Leander Club / Durham University / Chester-le-Street ARC) (Hometown: Peterlee, County Durham)
Eve Stewart (Leander Club) (Hometown: Amsterdam)
Eleanor Brinkhoff (Leander Club) (Hometown: Cheltenham)
Megan Slabbert (Molesey BC) (Hometown: Richmond)
Jack Tottem (cox) (Leander Club / Oxford University BC) (Hometown: Monmouth, Wales)
Women’s four (W4-)
Daisy Bellamy (Reading University BC) (Hometown: Wokingham)
Lauren Irwin (Leander Club / Durham University / Chester-le-Street ARC) (Hometown: Peterlee, County Durham)
Heidi Long (Oxford University BC / Leander Club) (Hometown: Chalfont St. Peter)
Eve Stewart (Leander Club) (Hometown: Amsterdam)
Women’s pair (W2-)
Eleanor Brinkhoff (Leander Club) (Hometown: Cheltenham)
Megan Slabbert (Molesey BC) (Hometown: Richmond)
Women’s reserves
Lizzie Witt (Leander Club / Imperial College BC) (Hometown: Richmond)
Juliette Perry (Leander Club / Oxford University BC) (Hometown: Petersfield)
Men’s crews
Men’s eight (M8+)
Will Stewart (Leander Club / Newcastle University BC) (Hometown: Esher, Surrey)
Archie Drummond (Leander Club) (Hometown: Twickenham)
Miles Beeson (Leander Club) (Hometown: Aberdeen)
Fergus Woolnough (Oxford Brookes University BC) (Hometown: Gloucester)
David Bewicke-Copley (Oxford Brookes University BC) (Hometown: Lutterworth, Leicestershire)
Sam Nunn (Oxford Brookes University BC) (Hometown: Bexleyheath)
Matt Aldridge (Christchurch RC) (Hometown: Christchurch, Dorset)
Matt Rowe (Leander Club / Oxford Brookes University BC) (Hometown: Teddington, Middlesex)
Will Denegri (cox) (Oxford Brookes University BC) (Hometown: Windsor)
Coach: Steve Trapmore
Men’s four (M4-)
Joshua Bowesman-Jones (Leander Club) (Hometown: Derby)
Dan Graham (Leander Club) (Hometown: Newcastle)
James Vogel (Leander Club) (Hometown: Pinner, London)
Jake Wincomb (Oxford Brookes University BC) (Hometown: Maidenhead)
Coach: Paul Stannard
Men’s quadruple sculls (M4x)
Cedol Dafydd (Leander Club) (Hometown: Bangor, North Wales)
Callum Dixon (Twickenham RC) (Hometown: Tower Hamlets, London)
Matt Haywood (Nottingham RC / Burton Leander RC) (Hometown: Burton on Trent, Staffordshire)
Rory Harris (Leander Club / Reading University BC) (Hometown: Virginia Water, Surrey)
Coach: Christian Felkel
Men’s double sculls (M2x)
Jamie Gare (Leander Club / City of Cambridge RC) (Hometown: Haverhill, Suffolk)
Tobias Schröder (Leander Club / Oxford University BC) (Hometown: Nottingham)
Coach: Kieran Clarke
Men’s single sculls (M1x)
Aidan Thompson (Twickenham RC / University of Surrey BC) (Hometown: Woking, Surrey)
Coach: Paul Stannard
Men’s reserves
James Cartwright (Leander Club) (Hometown: Gloucester)
Tom Barras (Burway RC / Leander Club) (Hometown: Staines)
Para crews
PR1 Men’s single sculls (PR1 M1x)
Benjamin Pritchard (City of Swansea RC) (Hometown: Mumbles, Swansea)
Coach: Nicola Benavente
PR3 mixed double sculls (PR3 Mix 2x)
Sam Murray (Molesey BC) (Hometown: Guildford)
Annie Caddick (Molesey BC) (Hometown: Isle of Wight)
Coach: Nicola Benavente
European Rowing Championships team management, coaching and support staff
Louise Kingsley: Team Leader
Jo Bates: Team Manager
Tom Dyson: Team Manager – Para
Karl Offord: Resources Manager
Nicola Benavente: Head Coach – Para
Andrew Randell: Head Coach – Women
Paul Stannard: Head Coach – Men
Steve Trapmore: Men’s Coach
Kieran Clark: Men’s Coach
Dan Moore: Women’s Coach
Darren Whiter: Women’s Coach
Helen Brown: Women’s Coach
Ann Redgrave: Doctor
Sarah Holmes: Physiotherapist – Women
Emma Stewart: Physiotherapist – Men
Marie Grant: Physiotherapist – Para
Gareth Turner: Sport Scientist
Shelley Wyatt: GBRT Comms Lead
Dan Lockey: Regatta Support
Paul Cobbett: Regatta Support
Ben Wellburn: Regatta Support
Clare Holman: Regatta Support
