Will Satch MBE

Rower // Para-Rowing Squad
Date of Birth: 9th Jun 1989 (34 years old)
Club: Leander Club
Height: 195.00
Hometown: Henley-on-Thames

Will Satch MBE profile image

In his first five seasons with the GB Rowing Team senior squad, Will Satch won Olympic gold and bronze medals either side of three successive World Championships titles.

Satch stroked the men’s eight to a memorable victory at Rio 2016 having won bronze with George Nash in the men’s pair four years earlier in London.

Going into the Tokyo 2020 Olympiad, Satch became a key part of the men’s four in 2017 as the crew won two golds and a silver in the World Cup series of regattas. Alongside Moe Sbihi, Matthew Tarrant and Matt Rossiter, Satch had to settle for bronze at the World Rowing Championships in Sarasota-Bradenton, finishing behind Australia and Italy.

Will completed a golden Olympiad in the men's eight after adding the Rio 2016 title to three successive World Championship crowns

On The Water

2016

Olympic Champion Men's Eight

European Bronze Medallist Men's Eight

2015

World Champion Men's Eight

European Silver Medallist Men's Eight

2014

World Champion Men's Eight

European Bronze Medallist Men's Eight

2013

World Champion Men's Eight

2012

Olympic Bronze Medallist Men's Pair

2011

World U23 Bronze Medallist Men's Eight

2010

World U23 Bronze Medallist Men's Eight

 

Rio 2016 Olympiad: 2013 – 2016

Will was once again selected in the men’s eight for the 2016 season and won a bronze medal at the European Championships in Brandenburg, GB taking third place on the line. Alan Sinclair subbed in for the ill Pete Reed for the Lucerne World Cup, where GB finished fourth. Pete returned for the World Cup in Poznan, where the GB eight enjoyed a good tussle with the Olympic champions from Germany on their way to a silver medal.

The eight saved their best until last, winning their Olympic heat in fine fashion before – with Will in the stroke seat – producing a devastating performance in the final to lead from the front and record an emphatic victory to be crowned as Rio 2016 gold-medallists.

It completed a golden Rio 2016 Olympiad for Will, who had also won three successive World Championship titles with the men’s eight.

The latest came at the end of an enthralling 2015 for Will and his crew-mates. They enjoyed a season-long battle with Germany, who had the upper hand at the European Championships in Poznan, Poland as the GB crew finished runners-up.

The tables were turned at the World Cup in Varese, although only just as GB produced a thrilling late surge to win gold by three-tenths of a second. It was even closer in Lucerne as Pete and the crew held on the narrowest of victories.

The World Championships promised even more drama and did not disappoint as the rivals went head to head once again. This time the GB eight won by two-tenths of a second to claim gold for a third successive year.

Will has been an ever-present in the boat since 2013, when he helped to secure a historic first-ever World Championship gold for a British eight. He also won two World Cup regattas that year.

The 2014 season saw Will and the eight win bronze at the European Championships. Second and third places followed at the World Cup in Aiguebelette and Lucerne respectively before the GB crew returned to the top of the podium in style at the World Championships, recording a convincing victory in Amsterdam.

Will Satch and George Nash won men's pair bronze at the London 2012 Olympic Games

London 2012 Olympiad: 2009-2012

Will’s first full season in the GB Rowing Team senior ranks ended with a breakthrough bronze medal in the men’s pair at the London 2012 Olympic Games.

He had made his GB debut three years earlier at the World U23 Championships, finishing 11th overall in the men’s four. He also competed at the Australian Youth Olympic Festival in 2009, winning gold in the men’s eight and silver in the men’s quad.

Will won bronze medals with the men’s eight at both the 2010 and 2011 World U23 Championships, in Brest and Amsterdam respectively, and also made his senior debut in 2011 at the Munich World Cup, winning silver in the same boat class.

Will formed a new-look pair with George Nash in 2012 and showed promising signs during the World Cup series as they won silver in Belgrade and finished fifth in Lucerne. That promise was underlined at the Olympic Games as the pair won a brilliant bronze medal, almost catching France for silver as they were roared on by the home crowd.

GB Competitive Record

Year Event Position Boat
2019 World Rowing Cup III
Rotterdam, NED
3 (FB Final) M4-
2019 World Rowing Cup II
Poznan, POL
6 (FB Final) M4-
2018 World Rowing Championships
Plovdiv, BUL
M8+
2018 European Rowing Championships
Glasgow, GBR
5 M8+
2018 World Rowing Cup II
Linz Ottensheim, AUT
M8+
2018 World Rowing Cup I
Belgrade, SRB
M8+
2017 World Rowing Championships
Sarasota-Bradenton, USA
M4-
2017 World Rowing Cup III
Lucerne, SUI
M4-
2017 World Rowing Cup II
Poznan, POL
M4-
2017 European Rowing Championships
Racice, CZE
5 M4-
2017 World Rowing Cup I
Belgrade, SRB
M4-
2016 Olympic Games Regatta
Rio de Janeiro, BRA
M8+
2016 World Rowing Cup III
Poznan, POL
M8+
2016 World Rowing Cup II
Lucerne, SUI
4 M8+
2016 European Rowing Championships
Brandenburg, GER
M8+
2015 World Rowing Championships
Aiguebelette, FRA
M8+
2015 World Rowing Cup III
Lucerne, SUI
M8+
2015 World Rowing Cup II
Varese, ITA
M8+
2015 European Rowing Championships
Poznan, POL
M8+
2014 World Rowing Championships
Amsterdam, NED
M8+
2014 World Rowing Cup III
Lucerne, SUI
M8+
2014 World Rowing Cup II
Aiguebelette, FRA
M8+
2014 European Rowing Championships
Belgrade, SRB
M8+
2013 World Rowing Championships
Chungju, KOR
M8+
2013 World Rowing Cup III
Lucerne, SUI
4 M8+
2013 World Rowing Cup II
Eton, GBR
M8+
2012 Olympic Games
London, GBR
M2-
2012 World Rowing Cup II
Lucerne, SUI
5 M2-
2012 World Rowing Cup I
Belgrade, SRB
M2-
2011 Under 23 World Rowing Championships
Amsterdam, NED
BM8+
2011 World Rowing Cup I
Munich, GER
M8+
2010 Under 23 World Rowing Championships
Brest, BLR
BM8+
2009 Under 23 World Rowing Championships
Racice, CZE
5 (FB Final) BM4-
Year:
2019
Event:
World Rowing Cup III
Rotterdam, NED
Position:
3 (FB Final)
Boat:
M4-
Year:
2019
Event:
World Rowing Cup II
Poznan, POL
Position:
6 (FB Final)
Boat:
M4-
Year:
2018
Event:
World Rowing Championships
Plovdiv, BUL
Position:
Boat:
M8+
Year:
2018
Event:
European Rowing Championships
Glasgow, GBR
Position:
5
Boat:
M8+
Year:
2018
Event:
World Rowing Cup II
Linz Ottensheim, AUT
Position:
Boat:
M8+
Year:
2018
Event:
World Rowing Cup I
Belgrade, SRB
Position:
Boat:
M8+
Year:
2017
Event:
World Rowing Championships
Sarasota-Bradenton, USA
Position:
Boat:
M4-
Year:
2017
Event:
World Rowing Cup III
Lucerne, SUI
Position:
Boat:
M4-
Year:
2017
Event:
World Rowing Cup II
Poznan, POL
Position:
Boat:
M4-
Year:
2017
Event:
European Rowing Championships
Racice, CZE
Position:
5
Boat:
M4-
Year:
2017
Event:
World Rowing Cup I
Belgrade, SRB
Position:
Boat:
M4-
Year:
2016
Event:
Olympic Games Regatta
Rio de Janeiro, BRA
Position:
Boat:
M8+
Year:
2016
Event:
World Rowing Cup III
Poznan, POL
Position:
Boat:
M8+
Year:
2016
Event:
World Rowing Cup II
Lucerne, SUI
Position:
4
Boat:
M8+
Year:
2016
Event:
European Rowing Championships
Brandenburg, GER
Position:
Boat:
M8+
Year:
2015
Event:
World Rowing Championships
Aiguebelette, FRA
Position:
Boat:
M8+
Year:
2015
Event:
World Rowing Cup III
Lucerne, SUI
Position:
Boat:
M8+
Year:
2015
Event:
World Rowing Cup II
Varese, ITA
Position:
Boat:
M8+
Year:
2015
Event:
European Rowing Championships
Poznan, POL
Position:
Boat:
M8+
Year:
2014
Event:
World Rowing Championships
Amsterdam, NED
Position:
Boat:
M8+
Year:
2014
Event:
World Rowing Cup III
Lucerne, SUI
Position:
Boat:
M8+
Year:
2014
Event:
World Rowing Cup II
Aiguebelette, FRA
Position:
Boat:
M8+
Year:
2014
Event:
European Rowing Championships
Belgrade, SRB
Position:
Boat:
M8+
Year:
2013
Event:
World Rowing Championships
Chungju, KOR
Position:
Boat:
M8+
Year:
2013
Event:
World Rowing Cup III
Lucerne, SUI
Position:
4
Boat:
M8+
Year:
2013
Event:
World Rowing Cup II
Eton, GBR
Position:
Boat:
M8+
Year:
2012
Event:
Olympic Games
London, GBR
Position:
Boat:
M2-
Year:
2012
Event:
World Rowing Cup II
Lucerne, SUI
Position:
5
Boat:
M2-
Year:
2012
Event:
World Rowing Cup I
Belgrade, SRB
Position:
Boat:
M2-
Year:
2011
Event:
Under 23 World Rowing Championships
Amsterdam, NED
Position:
Boat:
BM8+
Year:
2011
Event:
World Rowing Cup I
Munich, GER
Position:
Boat:
M8+
Year:
2010
Event:
Under 23 World Rowing Championships
Brest, BLR
Position:
Boat:
BM8+
Year:
2009
Event:
Under 23 World Rowing Championships
Racice, CZE
Position:
5 (FB Final)
Boat:
BM4-

More info...

ClubSquadCoach
Leander ClubMen’s SquadJürgen Grobler
Club:
Leander Club
Squad:
Men’s Squad
Coach:
Jürgen Grobler
Learnt to RowOriginal ClubOriginal Coach(es)
Shiplake CollegeShiplake College BC, Leander ClubAthol Hundermark
Learnt to Row:
Shiplake College
Original Club:
Shiplake College BC, Leander Club
Original Coach(es):
Athol Hundermark

Beyond the Boat

Will, who learnt to row at Shiplake College under the guidance of coach Athol Hundermark, was a keen rugby player and says that would be his career choice if he wasn’t a rower. However, if he could swap sports for the day, it would be to become “a young, gifted and not ginger 100m sprinter – being the fastest man in the world must be extraordinary.”

He used to sing in the school choir, mostly in Latin, and lists Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata in C# Minor among his favourite music. A grand piano would be one of the three things he would take to a desert island, along with sun screen and his dentist – “I can’t abide having toothache, plus she is beautiful!”

Will likes to paint and says that Chamonix in the French Alps, which he visited as a youngster, is his dream travel destination. “However, the Olympic orientation camp would have to be right up there.”

His ideal dinner guests would be Stephen Fry, David Attenborough and model Rosie Huntington-Whiteley.

Will is Lottery funded through UK Sport.

Personal Information

Current Address Home Town Region
Henley-on-Thames Henley-on-Thames Oxfordshire
Current Address:
Henley-on-Thames
Home Town:
Henley-on-Thames
Region:
Oxfordshire
Date of Birth Height Weight
9 June 1989 195cm 92kg
Date of Birth:
9 June 1989
Height:
195cm
Weight:
92kg
Education
Shiplake College
Education:
Shiplake College