Welsh Rowing

Join our upcoming Welfare Officers' Forum online tomorrow evening at 7:30 p.m. to connect, share insights, and discuss emerging challenges.

If you as the Welfare Officer cannot make it, why not send along another committee member who can share any updates.

Let's come together to learn, collaborate, and strengthen our safeguarding practices.

Hope to see you there!

To register and receive a link to join, email [email protected]

GB duo 'Cut' the mustard in Seattle

DOUBLE Wales Home International champion Katherine George and Old Monmothian World medal cox Jack Tottem helped the GB Women's 8 to Windermere Cup victory over hosts Washington University and Canada in Seattle on the legendary Montlake Cut, reports NICK HARTLAND.

GB senior debutant George and the Wye steersman were on board as the crew took the curtain-raising Twilight Sprints the night before.

And they then won the 40th hosting of the prestigious US Windermere Cup from a Washington crew containing George's Wales Home International Women’s 8 champion crew mate Violet Holbrow-Brooksbank.

GB, with six of the 2025 World bronze medal boat, had 1/2L at 500m and nearly a length at half-way as the Huskies just edged Canada in third on the course immortalised in the hit book and film The Boys In The Boat.

And they came home with a small amount of clear water in 6.10.0, with Washington second holding off the Canadians by 1/2L.

Wye cox Jack posted: "Excited to get the season rolling in the 8+. Lots to learn, excited for it.
"Thanks to for having us – such a cool event!"

And GB Women’s Olympic Head Coach Andrew Randell added: “What a fantastic opportunity to be out here and execute some of our plan.

"We probably got three-quarters of it right today, and there’s plenty to work on for the future, but we always take a win when you can, so well done to the girls.”

Welsh Olympic medallist Matt Aldridge and the GB Men's 8 had to give second best to a packed hosts' boat in one of the event's closest ever races.

A slow start left GB 3/4L behind the Huskies and Northeastern University at half-way.

The Brits then surged past the Boston crew in the third quarter but still had 1/2L to make up on Washington.

And despite eating up the deficit with every stroke in the run-in, they fell just three feet short, crossing less than 0.2secs back in 5.29.2, with Northeastern 2L back in third.

“We knew Washington was sharp, that they’d go off hard and be formidable opposition,” said GB men's High Performance Coach Steve Trapmore.

“We set off to try and contend with that, but they had a really good first 500m of the race, which we were able to counter, but we’d lost too much ground in the early stages.

"The guys did an incredible job to rally and pull the deficit back in the second half of the race to unfortunately miss the win by a photo finish of 0.16s."

The trip was also a homecoming for Llandaff RC graduate Angharad Broughton, who spent four years rowing and studying at Washington, and travelled with the GB team as reserve.

Photos: Scott Eklund/ Red Box/ University of Washington Athletics

Entries close on Saturday 13th June. A stunning location and a warm welcome awaits.

Entries are now open for the 2026 Welsh Rowing Coastal Championships. Enter here: https://www.welshrowing.com/en/sea-events/coastal-sculling-championships-2026

At Welsh Rowing, we are passionate about keeping our community safe.

Join our upcoming Welfare Officers' Safeguarding Forum, online to connect, share insights, and discuss emerging challenges.

If you as the Welfare Officer cannot make it, why not send along another committee member who can share any updates.

Let's come together to learn, collaborate, and strengthen our safeguarding practices.

Hope to see you there!

To register and receive a link to join, email [email protected]

Pritchard smashes own world record on Concept2 rower

WELSH reigning Paralympic, World and European PR1 singles champion Benjamin Pritchard has set a new world best 2k ergo time of 6 minutes 56.7 seconds during testing at the GB National Training Centre in Caversham – beating his previous record by 4.4 seconds.

The BBC Cymru Wales Sports Personality of the Year said: “World records are visible to everyone. But, the real victory is becoming the person willing to pursue an impossible goal long before anyone else believes in it.

“I’d like to extend a huge thank you to everyone for their support in this effort, but also in the journey to LA2028.

"I’m incredibly grateful to have a wonderful family, great friends, understanding colleagues, and fantastic coaches who are always in my corner, helping me unlock as much speed as possible.”

The City of Swansea RC rower from Mumbles has continued to rewrite his own history books, with his new world best on the Concept2 sitting alongside his world-best time on the water.

At last year’s European Rowing Championships in Plovdiv, Bulgaria, the Welshman broke the world-best time twice in three days, posting 8:47.88 in the heats before going even faster in the final two days later, clocking 8:40.38.

Attention now turns back to the international calendar. Benjamin has already raced this season at the Para Rowing Regatta in Vaires-sur-Marne.

And after making history at the Metropolitan Regatta alongside Jake Woods as the first PR1 athletes to race at the event, all eyes are back on the international stage as the season builds towards the World Rowing Championships in Amsterdam at the end of August.


Disability Sport Wales
Sport Wales

Llongyfarchiadau mawr to our CO1x winners of the Welsh Rowing Senior Beach Sprints Championship on Saturday 6th June!

Athletes, boat handlers and coaches travelled from across the UK to attend the event and gave a fantastic performance. Da iawn to all who took part and gave it their all on the day.

Our CO1x medallists are:
Gold - Cameron Buchan
Silver - James Cox
Bronze - Jerry Owen

Medals were presented by Ben Pritchard, Welsh Rowing's Board member and Anti-doping Champion, fresh from his World record success!

Ben also volunteered as part of the Timing Team during the event. A huge diolch yn fawr to all of the volunteers who gave their time on Saturday to help us run such a fantastic event.

Diolch i chi gyd!

Llongyfarchiadau mawr to our CW1x winners of the Welsh Rowing Senior Beach Sprints Championship on Saturday 6th June!

Athletes, boat handlers and coaches travelled from across the UK to attend the event and gave a fantastic performance. Da iawn to all who took part and gave it their all on the day.

Our CW1x medallists are:
Gold - Megan Hewison
Silver - Olivia Hodgson
Bronze - Lexi Gill

Medals were presented by Ben Pritchard, Welsh Rowing's Board member and Anti-doping Champion, fresh from his World record success!

Ben also volunteered as part of the Timing Team during the event. A huge diolch yn fawr to all of the volunteers who gave their time on Saturday to help us run such a fantastic event.

Diolch i chi gyd!

Olympic star's regatta showing proves out of this world

AN Olympic medal rower’s appearance at Monmouth Regatta proved simply stellar – as he chatted about his career and being involved in a Space race to develop a rowing machine that can be used in zero gravity, reports NICK HARTLAND.

Matt Wells raced at four Olympics from Sydney through to London 2012 and won bronze in the GB double scull in Beijing with Steve Rowbotham.

And having played such a starring role on the water, the Avon County rower found it great to be back out on the river again at Monmouth Regatta.

Matt won the over-42 singles and his daughter the U15 girls’ singles, and he now intends to race a double scull at this month’s British Masters Championships with fellow ex-GB rower Marcus Bateman.

With that sort of calibre, they’ll be blasting off the blocks at Nottingham’s National Water Sports Centre.

But it was lift off of a different sort when he featured on national BBC News the day before the two-day Wye event, having become involved in European Space Agency parabolic flights in France testing new gym equipment to help astronauts preserve bone density on long space missions.

Matt, who chatted to regatta commentator Scott Hazledine over the speaker, had just over 20 seconds to row in zero gravity when the plane went into a temporary free fall to create weightless conditions.

"Isn't it every kid's dream to be an astronaut?” he said. “It’s an opportunity to be able to do something really different. And working on something that might end up being used in Space is literally out of this world!”

Rowing crams a lot of exercise into a short time – “more bangs for your buck” – and time-pressed astronauts use the rowing machine for training back on Earth.

“So talking to them, it made sense to try and design a rower that works in Space,” said Matt, who was lifted off his seat during the zero gravity test

“And it definitely works, a proper workout, with proper resistance. Now NASA are on board and it could feature on Artemis 4.

"Every year since the Olympics I've done some sort of physical challenge. I've been in boxing rings, an Ironman, swimming 6k, and playing rugby for a season," he added.

"This is another step again... off the chart... the most outrageous so far! And of course, I’d love to go into Space and try it out!”

Former aircraft engineer and pilates studio owner John Kennett came up with the High-Frequency Impulse for Microgravity (HIFIm) device, which incorporates other exercises, after working with a client recovering from cancer who had low bone density.

And it was developed at Pinewood Studios by the 1917 Oscar-winning special effects team who have also worked on Star Wars, James Bond and Mission Impossible.

Matt, a state school head of PE in Cheddar, rowed hundreds of thousands of miles during his international career, and said the rowing machine is a great way of promoting the wider sport in schools and elsewhere.

Asked by Scott for his fave music for those 90-minute sessions, he name-checked Hurt by Jonny Cash – “because it does!”

“Monmouth Regatta is a great event, everyone’s friendly and it’s great to get back out on the river again,” he added.

Watch Matt try out the rower in zero gravity at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zHau_dg-q9Q

Photos: Oarstruck Photography/ John Kennett/ BBC News

As we celebrate Volunteers' Week, 1st-7th June 2026, we'd like to say a huge thank you to every volunteer who gives their time, energy, and passion to support Welsh Rowing.

From coaching and officiating to committee roles, event support, safety cover, boat maintenance, and everything in between, your dedication helps our clubs, athletes, and communities thrive. Your contribution makes it possible for more people across Wales to experience the enjoyment, challenge, and camaraderie of rowing.

Volunteers are at the heart of our sport, and we are incredibly grateful for everything you do, often behind the scenes, to keep rowing moving forward.

Thank you for your commitment, enthusiasm, and generosity.

This Volunteers' Week, we celebrate you!

Diolch i chi gyd!

Welsh students prove class acts at BUCS

WELSH rowers filled their boats with medals at the four-day British Universities and Colleges Championships at Nottingham's National Water Sports Centre, reports NICK HARTLAND.
Llandaff RC's Kai Schlottmann and Cari Meredith were both on fire winning two golds and a silver each, while Meg Knight scored two golds with Reading University, who proved first-ever joint men's and women's Victor Ludorum winners under the guidance of Welsh Olympic medal head coach Chris Bartley.
Schlottmann helped Oxford Brookes retain the Championship men's 8s title with fellow Welsh rower Carwyn Davies, beating Durham into silver by just over a length in 5.52.70.
And the Taff graduate, who helped Wales win the men's coxless fours at last year's Home Countries, was then on board the Brookes 4- that overhauled the Wear outfit in the final 500m to again win by clear water in 6.20.14, with Oxford University 1/2L back in bronze and Wales team mates Gwilym Johnson and Finlay Thomson fourth with Newcastle, who also placed fifth in the Ch 8s and Ch 4+.
Welsh GB U23 cap Knight and her Reading A boat had 2L too much power for their B boat in the WCh 4x- A final (6.51.75).
And then with Zara Povey she went head to head all the way with quad crew mates Ellie Cooke and Franny Hunt Davies in the W Ch2x medal race, holding on to score a second gold by 1/4L in 7.10.81.
Cari Meredith's Birmingham University boat also took WCh Ltw 4- gold by 1L (7.27.56) from Cambridge's Light Blues, with Llandaff club mate Eve Tanguay fifth with Nottingham, while Old Monmothian cox Ben Jennery steered Durham to WCh 4+ gold (7.26.87) by 1 1/2L from Brookes with Cambridge third.
Gwilym Johnson also struck Ch 2- silver with Ed Ridley (6.54.29) 1L behind Durham's winners.
And Cardiff City graduate Megan Hadfield and Jennery were also on board Durham's bronze medal-winning WCh 8, overhauling Cambridge in the second half to finish 2L behind London in gold, 1L behind Brookes in silver and the same margin up on the Light Blues.
In the Intermediate events, Wales cap Millie Hurrell took gold with Brookes in her women's 8, overhauling Bath in the last quarter to come home 1/2L up in 6.52.97, with Cambridge in bronze a further canvas back.
Cari Meredith was also on the gold standard again in the WLtw IM 2- with Emily Fergusson, crossing a full 5L clear of Queen's Belfast in 8.19.82.
And she also struck silver in the WIM Ltw 4x in 7.02.76, leading to half way before coming home just over 1L behind Reading.
Llandaff club mate Schlottman also showed he's handy with two blades, taking IM 4x silver with Brookes a length behind Reading, with Strathclyde a similar distance back in bronze.
Hadfield was a double WIM silver medallist in the pairs and fours, coming with a rush from fifth with Durham partner Molly Vondrak in the former to take second on the line from Nottingham 2L behind Cambridge in 8.11.97.
And her four then caught London on the line by five-hundreds of a second with Cambridge just 1/3L up in gold.
Fin Thompson also teamed up with Lucas Bowes to take IM2- silver for Newcastle just over a length behind London in 6.56.53 – quick enough for bronze in Ch 2- – with fellow Welsh rower and club mate Dan Coupe taking bronze 1/2L back.
There were also some near misses, with A final showings from Meg Knight finishing fourth in WCh 1x, Alfie Wynter (Reading) fifth in Ch 4x, Tom Powell (Imperial) sixth in Ch 4+, Megan Hadfield fourth (Durham) in WIM 2x, Bath's Will Stradling and cox Freya Laws sixth in IM 4+ and Reading's Alex Repton sixth in IM 4x.
And Maddie Jones and Rae Bennett raced to fifth for Cardiff Met in the Women's Beginners' 2x only a couple of lengths off a medal, while club mate Grace Chaffy was sixth in the W Beg 1x.
Swansea University also made an A final placing fifth in the men's Beg 4+.
Meanwhile, Tom Powell's Imperial 8 won the Ch B final for seventh, matched by Carwyn Davies' Brookes boat in the Ch 4+, cox Scarlett Dundas in the Newcastle WIM 8 and Dan Coupe in the latter's IM 4+
Brookes' Sienna Taylor placed second for 8th in the WIM 8s, matched by Bath's Stradling and Laws in IM8s, who pipped Archie Jones and George Coates by one place in the Durham 8.
Cardiff University overturned the Varsity result edging out Swansea to B final victory for seventh overall in Beg 8, leading through every marker to win by a length (7.22.63), with the Tawe outfit holding off Warwick in second by 0.8secs.
But Swansea repeated their Welsh Boat Race success finishing fourth in the WBeg 8 B final for 10th overall, 2L and two places ahead of Cardiff.
The Taff students scored two more B final showings as well, Beth Weaver, Keira Delaney, Lucy Jones and Menna Sutton placing fourth in the WIM B 4x final for 10th (7.37.29) and their Beg 4+ third for ninth overall, while Swansea were 10th in WBeg 4+.
Eve Tanguay was also third for ninth overall with Nottingham in WCh Ltw 2x, while Swansea's Lydia Hunter-Tod impressed winning the C final of WCh Ltw 1x (9.11.01) for 13th overall, finishing 10 seconds clear of her nearest Nottingham Trent rival.
Mica Hird and Seren Van De Horst were also 14th in Exeter's WIM 8, Llandaff's Will Parry and Kier Palmer were 16th in Birmingham's IM4+ and 17th in the IM 2-, and Will Letten 17th in the Queen's Belfast IM 4+.
Cardiff University's other results were WIM 8 20th (also overturning their Varsity loss), IM 4x 26th, WBeg 4+ 28th, WIM 4+ 35th, Thomas Hargreaves IM1x 34th and Abdirahman Hassan 39th, who was a place ahead of Cardiff Met's Zach Salmon.
Other Swansea placings were Beg 4x 21st, WIM 4+ 25th with E final victory, matched by Daniel Bates in the IM1x and the WIM 8, WIM 2x 29th and 40th, WIM 2- 38th, IM 4+ 41st, and IM 8 42nd.
Cardiff Met's Beg 4+ also placed 15th, Tommy Dack won the Beg 1x D final for 19th, with Amelia Eldridge 27th in WIM 1x also winning the WIM 2x F final with Grace Chaffey for 31st, and the IM 4x 35th.
Bangor's results were Beg 2x 22nd, WBeg 4x 24th, WBeg 2x 31st with victory in the F final (Emma Croucher, Rachael Stanton), and IM2x 40th.
Full results at https://results.bucsrowing.org.uk/regatta26