European Champions relish ‘Rest of the World’ challenge
Great Britain Squads selected for World Rowing Cup – Varese
Forty-one athletes will represent Great Britain at the World Rowing Cup Varese 13-15 June 2025. After the 2025 season kicked off in style at the European Championships in Plovdiv, the squad will see five ot the European gold medal winning boats return.
Commenting on the team selection Louise Kingsley, British Rowing Director of Performance said: “The European Championships in Plovdiv were very successful for Great Britain with six gold, a silver and two bronze medals won and European, World and British records broken. There were some tight races which came right down to the line and made for edge-of- the-seat entertainment. I expect we will see more of the same in Varese, especially with nations from across the world joining the racing circuit for the first time this cycle. With this back-to-back block of racing, we are looking forward to seeing how these nations have moved on over the winter and how the European nations build on from Plovdiv.”
Lauren Henry is back in the women’s single sculls (W1x). With a blistering European best time and British record in Plovdiv, Lauren is eager to test herself against some of the best single scullers in the World.
The Men’s quadruple sculls (M4x) of Cedol Dafydd, Callum Dixon, Matt Haywood and Rory Harris come into the World Rowing Cup full of confidence, having made history as the first ever British quad to win gold at a European Championship and setting a European best time in the process.
Back for the World Rowing Cup is Benjamin Pritchard who returned from winning in Paris with serious intent for the LA cycle. He set a World and European best time in his heat and then broke the record again in the final in Plovdiv on his way to becoming European Champion for the first time in the PR1 Men’s Single Sculls (PR1 M1x).
Before last weekend, Britain had never won European gold in both the Men’s and Women’s eights at the same event.
The Men’s Eight (M8+), who beat the British record by 0.03 seconds in Plovdiv, will be Will Stewart, Matt Rowe, Miles Beeson, Fergus Woolnough, David Bewicke-Copley, Sam Nunn, Matt Aldridge, Archie Drummond and cox, Will Denegri. The Women’s eight (W8+) consists of Eleanor Brinkhoff, Juliette Perry, Amelia Standing, Martha Birtles, Lauren Irwin, Eve Stewart, Heidi Long, Megan Slabbert and cox, Jack Tottem.
Once again, there will be some doubling up in the women’s squad, with Eleanor Brinkhoff and Megan Slabbert also racing the Women’s Pair (W2-). Lizzie Witt will join Juliette Perry, Martha Birtles and Amelia Standing in the Women’s Four (W4-).
Looking to build on their European debut performances are the women’s Double Sculls (W2x) of Vwairé Obukohwo and Freya Keto, Tobias Schröder and Jamie Gare in the Men’s double sculls (M2x) GBR1, the Men’s four (M4-) of Jake Wincomb, Dan Graham, James Vogel and Joshua Bowesman-Jones and Aidan Thompson in the Men’s single sculls (M1x).
New crews racing for the first time this season are James Cartwright and Tokyo 2020 silver medallist Tom Barras in the Men’s Double Sculls (M2x) GBR2 and Toby Lassen and Felix Rawlinson in the Men’s pair (M2-). The latter crew are targeting the FISU World University Games this summer and will be using the World Rowing Cup as an opportunity to test their speed on the world stage.
In Paralympic boats, newcomer Curtis Dickens will be making his debut in the PR2 Men’s single sculls (PR2 M1x), as will Connor Smith who joins Paralympic Champion Josh O’Brien in the PR3 Men’s pair (PR3 M2-).
The Great Britain crews racing at the World Rowing Cup Varese are:
Men’s crews
Men’s eight (M8+)
Will Stewart (Leander Club / Newcastle University BC)
Matt Rowe (Leander Club / Oxford Brookes University BC)
Miles Beeson (Leander Club)
Fergus Woolnough (Oxford Brookes University BC)
David Bewicke-Copley (Oxford Brookes University BC)
Sam Nunn (Oxford Brookes University BC)
Matt Aldridge (Christchurch RC)
Archie Drummond (Leander Club)
Will Denegri (cox) (Oxford Brookes University BC)
Coach: Steve Trapmore
Men’s four (M4-)
Jake Wincomb (Oxford Brookes University BC)
Dan Graham (Leander Club)
James Vogel (Leander Club)
Joshua Bowesman-Jones (Leander Club)
Coach: Paul Stannard
Men’s pair (M2-)
Toby Lassen (Oxford Brookes University BC / Great Marlow Swans)
Felix Rawlinson (Oxford University BC / Thames Rowing Club)
Coach: Brian Young
Men’s quadruple sculls (M4x)
Cedol Dafydd (Leander Club / Bath University BC)
Callum Dixon (Twickenham RC)
Matt Haywood (Nottingham RC / Burton Leander RC)
Rory Harris (Leander Club / Reading University BC)
Coach: Christian Felkel
Men’s double sculls (M2x) GBR1
Jamie Gare (Leander Club / City of Cambridge RC)
Tobias Schröder (Leander Club / Oxford University BC)
Coach: Paul Stannard / Christian Felkel
Men’s double sculls (M2x) GBR2
James Cartwright (Leander Club)
Tom Barras (Burway RC / Leander Club)
Coach: Paul Stannard / Christian Felkel
Men’s single sculls (M1x)
Aidan Thompson (Twickenham RC / University of Surrey BC)
Coach: Paul Stannard / Christian Felkel
Para crews
PR1 Men’s single sculls (PR1 M1x)
Benjamin Pritchard (City of Swansea RC)
Coach: David Breen
PR2 Men’s single sculls (PR2 M1x)
Curtis Dickens (Stratford upon Avon BC)
Coach: Nicola Benavente
PR3 Men’s pair (PR3 M2-)
Connor Smith (Leeds RC)
Josh O’Brien (Molesey BC)
Coach: David Breen
Women’s crews
The women’s squad are coached by Andrew Randell, Darren Whiter, Dan Moore and Helen Brown.
Women’s double sculls (W2x)
Freya Keto (Thames RC / Cambridge University BC)
Vwairé Obukohwo (Twickenham RC)
Women’s single sculls (W1x)
Lauren Henry (Leicester RC)
Women’s eight (W8+)
Eleanor Brinkhoff (Leander Club)
Juliette Perry (Leander Club / Oxford University BC)
Amelia Standing (Leander Club / Oxford University BC)
Martha Birtles (Oxford Brookes University BC / Oxford University BC)
Lauren Irwin (Leander Club / Durham University / Chester-le-Street ARC)
Eve Stewart (Leander Club)
Heidi Long (Oxford University BC / Leander Club)
Megan Slabbert (Molesey BC)
Jack Tottem (cox) (Leander Club / Oxford University BC)
Women’s Four (W4-)
Lizzie Witt (Leander Club / Imperial College BC)
Martha Birtles (Oxford Brookes University BC / Oxford University BC)
Juliette Perry (Leander Club / Oxford University BC)
Amelia Standing (Leander Club / Oxford University BC)
Women’s pair (W2-)
Eleanor Brinkhoff (Leander Club)
Megan Slabbert (Molesey BC)
World Rowing Cup Varese Team Management, Coaching & Support staff:
Louise Kingsley Team Leader
Jo Bates Team Manager
Tom Dyson Team Manager – Para
Maurice Hayes Resources Manager
Nicola Benavente Head Coach – Para
Andrew Randell Head Coach – Women
Paul Stannard Head Coach – Men
Christian Felkel Men’s Coach
Steve Trapmore Men’s Coach
Brian Young Men’s Coach
Dan Moore Women’s Coach
Darren Whiter Women’s Coach
Helen Brown Women’s Coach
David Breen Para Coach
Ann Redgrave Doctor
Karen Burn Physiotherapist – Women
Emma Stewart Physiotherapist – Men
Marie Grant Physiotherapist – Para
Molly Lloyd-Jones Sport Scientist
Gareth Nicholas Sport Scientist/Nutritionist
Shelley Wyatt GBRT Comms Lead
