Strathclyde

hosted by Strathclyde Park RC

The Strathclyde Start Centre was opened in 2017 and is the only WCS centre in Scotland, having previously been located in Glasgow on the river Clyde between 2007 and 2016.

The centre is hosted by Strathclyde Park RC, a relatively new club founded in 2000 by a group of experienced rowers and coaches and is the only open club based at the Strathclyde Country Park Watersports Centre.

Strathclyde Park is the only 2000m multi-lane course in Scotland, built in 1986 for the Commonwealth Games; it hosts the Scottish Rowing Championships each year along with regularly hosting the Home International Regatta, Commonwealth regattas and more recently the 2018 European Rowing Championships.

The athletes train mostly at the Scottish Rowing Centre, beside the Strathclyde Park Watersports Centre, which boasts a recently refurbished multi-use gym with a strength and conditioning area, ergometers, static bikes and an indoor rowing tank.

Karen Bennett is Scotland’s most notable Start graduate. She joined the programme shortly after starting rowing at Heart of Scotland BC following UK Sports’ Sporting Giants campaign back in 2008. Her international debut came in 2011, when she was selected to go to the World Rowing U23 Championships in the women’s eight where she finished fifth. In 2015 she broke into the senior team and won a silver medal in the women’s four at the World Championships in Aiguebelette, before being selected for the women’s eight for the 2016 Rio Olympics, and winning a historic silver medal – Britain’s first ever Olympic medal in this boat class.

Most recently, Perri McCluskey, Erica Hurst, Amy Hicken and Molly Johnson won the Aspirational quadruple sculls event at Henley Women’s Regatta in 2019.

Hosted by Strathclyde Park Rowing Club.

Find out more about Start here