Great Britain wins 44th J16 Match v France

British crews won 10 of 14 races, as well as the Reserve Single Sculls, while competing in Gravelines, France

Great Britain won all three trophies in the annual J16 Match against France. The 54 athletes who were selected won the Men’s, Women’s and Overall events against tough French opposition.

The GB v France J16 Match represents the first step on the British Rowing Olympic Performance Pathway, potentially paving the way for future Olympic champions within the team.

2026 marks the third year in a row that GB has won the Match.

“The choice of Gravelines for the 2026 GB vs France J16 match was perfect,” said Team Manager CD Riches.

“The local club were outstandingly accommodating. With a host of volunteers providing meals at the boathouse and with a brand-new hotel just opened, on site-travel was eliminated. It was clear from the trials that this was one of the strongest British teams we have ever fielded. The formidable French team arrived direct from a Paris training camp, but struggled to contain the British crews, that time and time again surged past in the last 500m. Both teams behaved with an athletic maturity beyond their years, and engaged together in the post-match events, with a true spirit of ‘entente cordiale’.

“We are immensely grateful to match organiser Maxime Guilhem and the team from Gravelines led by club President Philippe Lot for a superb event.”

Full results

Race	Boat	Result	Club
1	W8+	GB	Wallingford Rowing Club
2	M4+	GB	Abingdon School Boat Club
3	W2x	France	City of Cambridge Rowing Club
4	M4x	GB	Shiplake College Boat Club
5	W4-	GB	Latymer Upper School Boat Club
6	M4-	GB	Latymer Upper School Boat Club
7	W1x	GB	Connie Batley-Smith (Shanklin Sandown Rowing Club)
8	M2x	France	Cambois Rowing Club
9	W4x	GB	Maidenhead Rowing Club
10	M1x	GB	Aidan Lawlor (Durham Amateur Rowing Club)
11	W4+	France	Sir William Perkins’s School Boat Club
12	M2-	France	Aberdeen Schools Rowing Association
13	W2-	GB	Bedford Girls’ School Rowing Club
14	M8+	GB	Radley College Boat Club
Reserve	W1x	GB	Oliver Ross (Falcon Rowing Club)
Reserve	M1x	GB	Vienna Townsend (Milfield School boat Club)

The Great Britain J16 team for the GB v France Match

J16 Men’s Eight (J16 M8+)
William Naylor (Radley College Boat Club)
Sebastian Ball (Radley College Boat Club)
Ivo McMyn (Radley College Boat Club)
Joshua Paxman (Radley College Boat Club)
James Thompson (Radley College Boat Club)
Lucius Phillips (Radley College Boat Club)
Frank Edwards (Radley College Boat Club)
Montgomery Arkell (Radley College Boat Club)
Rex Ruddy (cox) (Radley College Boat Club)
Coach: Harry Lyons (Radley College Boat Club)

J16 Women’s Eight (J16 W8+)
Aurelia Alcantara (Wallingford Rowing Club)
Beatrice Arnold (Wallingford Rowing Club)
Tavi Bennett (Wallingford Rowing Club)
Millie Armstead (Wallingford Rowing Club)
Jemma Downs (Wallingford Rowing Club)
Zoe Seymour (Wallingford Rowing Club)
Iona Butterfield (Wallingford Rowing Club)
Jasmine Gibbin (Wallingford Rowing Club)
Lily Quantrell (cox) (Wallingford Rowing Club)
Coach: Geoff Brown (Wallingford Rowing Club)

J16 Men’s Quadruple Sculls (J16 M4x)
Benji Maggs (Shiplake College Boat Club)
Sebastian Lee (Shiplake College Boat Club)
Miles Vann (Shiplake College Boat Club)
Flynn Burrow (Shiplake College Boat Club)
Coach: Ed Dallas (Shiplake College Boat Club)

J16 Women’s Quadruple Sculls (J16 W4x)
Evie Bruce (Maidenhead Rowing Club)
Romilly Haworth (Maidenhead Rowing Club)
Emilia French (Maidenhead Rowing Club)
Chloe Rye (Maidenhead Rowing Club)
Coach: Stephen Hughes (Maidenhead Rowing Club)

J16 Men’s Four (J16 M4-)
Felix Fisher (Latymer Upper School Boat Club)
Orestis Easingwood (Latymer Upper School Boat Club)
Luka Price (Latymer Upper School Boat Club)
Kaya Cetin (Latymer Upper School Boat Club)
Coach: Nick Laws (Latymer Upper School Boat Club)

J16 Women’s Four (J16 W4-)
Isabelle Earl (Latymer Upper School Boat Club)
Emilie Saunders (Latymer Upper School Boat Club)
Isabella Charlton (Latymer Upper School Boat Club)
Sofie Van de Geest (Latymer Upper School Boat Club)
Coach: Nick Laws (Latymer Upper School Boat Club)

J16 Men’s Coxed Four (J16 M4+)
Oskar Thorpe (Abingdon School Boat Club)
Edward Clancy (Abingdon School Boat Club)
Ollie Walmsley (Abingdon School Boat Club)
George Monk (Abingdon School Boat Club)
Harish Sivakumar (cox) (Abingdon School Boat Club)
Coach: Odhran Donaghy (Abingdon School Boat Club)

J16 Women’s Coxed Four (J16 W4+)
Elena Hollingshead (Sir William Perkins’s School Boat Club)
Carla Cambiano (Sir William Perkins’s School Boat Club)
Ashley Sullivan (Sir William Perkins’s School Boat Club)
Rosie Gurney (Sir William Perkins’s School Boat Club)
Florence Foster (cox) (Sir William Perkins’s School Boat Club)
Coach: Michelle De Meillon (Sir William Perkins’s School Boat Club)

J16 Men’s Pair (J16 M2-)
Nicol Martin (Aberdeen Schools Rowing Association)
Sandy Bain (Aberdeen Schools Rowing Association)
Coach: Harris McDonald (Aberdeen Schools Rowing Association)

J16 Women’s Pair (J16 W2-)
Evie-Rose Wootton (Bedford Girls’ School Rowing Club)
Lily Sonsino (Bedford Girls’ School Rowing Club)
Coach: Miles McEwen (Bedford Girls’ School Rowing Club)

J16 Men’s Double Sculls (J16 M2x)
Sonny Hughes (Cambois Rowing Club)
Harry Shaw (Cambois Rowing Club)
Coach: Owen Thornton (Cambois Rowing Club)

J16 Women’s Double Sculls (J16 W2x)
Lily Margot (City of Cambridge Rowing Club)
Lena Tyburczy (City of Cambridge Rowing Club)
Coach: William Schofiled (City of Cambridge Rowing Club)

J16 Men’s Single Sculls (J16 M1x)
Aidan Lawlor (Durham Amateur Rowing Club)
Coach: Wayne Thorton (Cambois Rowing Club)

J16 Women’s Single Sculls (J16 W1x)
Connie Batley-Smith (Shanklin Sandown Rowing Club)
Coach: Lesley Walters (Shanklin Sandown Rowing Club)

Reserves
Boy’s squad: Oliver Ross (Falcon Rowing Club)
Girl’s squad: Vienna Townsend (Milfield School boat Club)

Team Support
CD Riches (Team Manager)
Jordan Durrant (Assistant Team Manager)
Grace Miller (Team Physio)
Oliver Knight (Equipment Manager)