Welsh Rowing

13/10/2026

World U19 joy for Welsh duo in Bulgaria

TWO Welsh junior rowers were on fire in GB colours over the summer at the World Rowing U19 Championships in Bulgaria, landing silver and bronze, writes NICK HARTLAND.

Llandaff Rowing Club graduate Csombor Hanczar, who helped Radley win the National Schools' Championship 8s this year, raced to silver in the Junior Men's four in Plovdiv after a fantastic tussle with Spain, France and New Zealand.

There were just feet in it at 500m where GB led NZ and Spain.

The Spanish then made their move in the second quarter to lead by 1/2L from the Brits at half-way, still locked in a battle with the Kiwis.

And Spain had clear water at 1500m, with GB also edging out to over 1/2L on NZ.

But a massive charge from France saw the Kiwis falter with GB pulling back on the frontrunners at 43 strokes a minute, finally finishing 1/2L back in 6.02.22 and the French taking bronze another 1/3L back.

Canford School's Freya Coupe and the GB Junior Women's 8 also battled to a brilliant bronze.

Romania’s steam train took the lead after 600m from Germany with Great Britain established nicely in third place a length back at halfway.

Italy made a big effort in the third quarter closing the Brits down to 2/3L, but GB went again to finish 1 1/2L clear in 6.24.31 with Romania in gold 3L up and Germany in silver a length behind.

Former Llandaff RC rower Dave Currie was also celebrating as coach of the GB Junior Men's 8, which secured a fourth World U19 title in a row.

The Shiplake College rowing director's crew were brave from stroke one, establishing an early lead, and had almost a length's lead at 1500m, holding on to win by that margin from the US who got up for silver right on the line ahead of Germany.

Photos: Benedict Tufnell/ World Rowing

29/09/2026

Wales stars Ruhr to glory at World U23s

FIVE Welsh rowers roared to glory in the Ruhr, taking World U23 golds and silvers on Duisburg's Wedau Lake this summer, reports NICK HARTLAND.

Llandaff RC graduates Kai Schlottmann and Osian James stormed to gold as the GB Men's 8 secured a magnificent seventh straight U23 world title.

The River Taff duo were part of the Llandaff 8 that made Henley history in 2023 when they became the first club boat to race in and win a heat in the Princess Elizabeth Cup.

And they made history again as their crew led from the off to come home 1/3L up on the USA in 5.31.94, with New Zealand another 1/2L back in bronze.

National Schools 2024 singles champion Elliott Donovan-Davies from Llanharan also helped the men’s quadruple scull take gold for the first time since 2019.

The Stanford USA rower and crew mates Matt Long, Josh Matthews and Nat Gauden were third at 500m but pushed through Germany before halfway and caught pacesetters Poland just after the 1500m mark to come home 3/4L up in 5.43.03.

Donovan-Davies, who was introduced to the sport through Welsh Rowing in Cardiff before attending Hartpury College, said: “It’s been a three-year project for all of the boys.

"We’ve either been in the quad or the double. It’s good to get back on the board for the GB sculling team.”

Rhiannon Luke - daughter of 2000 Olympic silver medallist Miriam Batten and Llandaff RC GB world finalist Dave Luke – was also on board the GB women's four that secured a first ever medal in the class with a sparkling silver.

She and Amelia Gleed, Acorn Cassidy and Ellie-Kate Hutchinson went stroke for stroke with the USA from start to finish, the Americans holding a 1/2L lead hitting the closing stages before a final GB attack fell just a canvas short in 6.35.52, with Spain third.

And Cambridge University and Wales rower Ellie Sillar was also on board the GB Women's 8 as they took the race to the hotly fancied USA to lead at 500m.

America's power then told as they hit the front and stretched out to clear water in the second half, but GB kept the rest of the field at bay coming home 1L up on Germany in bronze in 6.12.06.

Wales' Meg Knight also raced in the women's singles finishing 12th overall.

Photos: BENEDICT TUFNELL

23/09/2026

Ivor Lloyd, Wales Rowing team captain 1986 Commonwealth Games (1950-2026)

VERY sad news of the passing of Ivor Lloyd, the captain of the Wales Rowing team at the 1986 Commonwealth Games.

Also a captain, director of rowing and chairman at the world's oldest club Leander, a GB international and manager of Dorney Lake for the 2012 Olympic regatta, Ivor was a brilliant and inspiring leader in Wales colours.

He was much missed at this year's 40th anniversary gathering of Wales CG team members at Henley Royal Regatta, where those in attendance raised their glasses to him and other fondly remembered teammates.

A full Leander tribute can be read here https://www.leander.co.uk/remembering-our-members/

A celebration of Ivor's life is being held at St Mary's Church, Henley-on-Thames, at 2.30pm, on Friday, October 2, followed by a reception at Leander at 3.30pm.

The photos show Ivor at Henley, enjoying some podium time with team mates in 1986, and rowing in the 8 at Henley Royal Regatta that year at 5.

22/09/2026

Have you booked on to our disability inclusion training in Cardiff yet?

It's your last chance to secure a space: https://store.disabilitysportwales.com/product?catalog=DIT_AP

Ydych chi wedi archebu lle ar ein hyfforddiant cynhwysiant anabledd yng Nghaerdydd eto?

Dyma'ch cyfle olaf i sicrhau lle: https://store.disabilitysportwales.com/product?catalog=DIT_AP

22/09/2026

Disability Sport Wales is surveying volunteering opportunities within the physical activity and sport sector across Wales to help improve the accessibility of volunteering for disabled people. The survey aims to identify barriers, share good practice, and support organisations in creating more inclusive volunteering opportunities.

We want to hear from disabled people across Wales, whether you already volunteer in sport or physical activity, have volunteered in the past, or have never volunteered before but might like to.

18/09/2026

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 Our Wales Team for the Home International Beach Sprint Regatta 2026 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿
Our 12 strong team will compete tomorrow, Saturday 19th September 2026 at Nairn Beach, Scotland against England, Ireland & Scotland hoping ti retain the Home International Beach Sprint Trophy!

11/09/2026

Welsh rowers make waves at British Rowing Club Championships

WELSH rowers powered onto the podium at the summer's British Rowing Club Championships at Nottingham's National Water Sports Centre, reports NICK HARTLAND.

Imogen Wolstencroft took gold in Mixed Championship 8s with Thames RC, while Faith Thorpe-Williams' Hartpury boat landed silver in the Mixed Ch quads, 3/4L behind Nottingham RC.

Fishguard & Goodwick Jemima’s Jerry Owen was on board the Nottingham RC boat that took Club 8s gold by just under a length from Evesham, as his club scooped the Victor Ludorum.

And Hayden Macdonald and his City of Sunderland partner James Eggleston won Club 2x bronze just a tenth of a second behind silver medallists Bath University and 0.3secs ahead of Claires Court.

Gracie Janes in Hartpury colours took Women's U19 singles gold by a length from Bradford's Amy Milner, and was also on board her club's silver medal 4x-, a length behind George Heriots/ Watsons, and placed fifth in Club singles.

King's Chester duo Eleanor Williams and Lucie Thornton also took gold in Women's U19 2- by 1 1/2L from Tideway Scullers, while Marlow's Max Roughton and Hereford's Hamish Gamble were part of a composite boys' 4x- that took U19 bronze less than a length off gold.

Sir William Borlase's Fred Britton raced to a superb silver in U19 boys' 1x a length behind the Lea winner and 0.4secs up on bronze, matched by Zac Brockway and his Tideway Scullers partner in U19 boys' pairs.

Just a week after winning the 4x- for GB in the Anglo-French U16 match in France, Monmouth RC's Sebastian Lee swapped two oars for one to partner his Shiplake school mate James Weeks to U16 boys' gold in the 2- by just under a length from Walton.

And Alexander Stone also landed bronze with Reading Blue Coat School in the U16 boys' 4+ just half a second off silver.

Cardiff Metropolitan University had a field day in the Beginners' events, taking three golds and a silver.

Oliver Nathan won the Open 1x from his nearest Nottingham RC rival in 7.33, where club mate Igoa Bilbao came second in the B final and Thomas Dack fifth.

Grace Chaffey and Gemma Bennett won Beg W2x by 3L from Nottingham after trailing at halfway, while Jacob Buckner-Rowley, Thomas Dack, Nathan, Bilbao, and cox Amelia Eldridge took Open Beg 4+ by some 5L from Furnival.

And Bilbao and Nathan also won silver in Open Beg 2x behind Nottingham, holding off Thames Scullers and City of Cambridge.

Maddie Jones was also fifth in Beg W1x and Chaffey sixth.

Wales cap Miguel Ferreira de Lima of River Taff neighbours Llandaff RC won his six-boat AR3 1x final by 4L from Evesham in a championship best 8.07.10, while club mate Ellie Postelthwaite won the W Club 1x B final by 1/2L from Wales cap Susanna Youlton in Chester Le Street colours.

Monmouth Comprehensive's Charlie Grove, Evan Pardington, Lewys Baker, Barnaby Shaw were 11th overall in J18 4-, while school mates Samuel Graefe, George Asbury, Charlie Grove, Ioan Kear, and cox James Lawrence-Preston came from last at halfway to take third for ninth overall in the B final of the 42-boat J15 quads, overhauling Henley, Brentford and RGS High Wycombe to finish just six feet behind Windsor Boys B.

Baker and Shaw were also 10th in J18 pairs, while the school's Zachary Bowen and Daniel Meyrick-Laud won the J14 2x B final by 2L from Trentham to place 7th out of 24.

06/09/2026

Aged 12 - 21?

There's one last chance for you to join the Welsh Rowing Youth Panel for 2026!

Our Expression of Interest meeting is happening on Tuesday 8th September @ 7pm online.

If you're interested in joining, making your voice heard and helping shape the sport throughout Wales, email [email protected] for the joining link.

04/09/2026

Time is running out to join Welsh Rowing and help shape the future of our sport in Wales!

We’re recruiting volunteer Non-Executive Directors in the following areas:

• Human Resources - We’re seeking an experienced HR professional who can offer strategic insight on people, culture, employment matters and organisational development.

• Commercial Development - We’re looking for commercial, communications, marketing or digital expertise, together with entrepreneurial thinking and sound strategic judgement.

Previous Board experience and knowledge of rowing are not essential. We welcome applications from people of all backgrounds, experiences and perspectives.

Closing date:
• Sunday 13 September at 9pm

To apply, or to request the full job description or ask any questions, please contact [email protected].

Please share this opportunity with anyone who could help Welsh Rowing make a lasting difference.

28/08/2026

The Flying Welshman is through! 🚣‍♂️🔥
 
Benjamin Pritchard has reached the PR1 World Rowing Championships final!
 
He’ll race for glory tomorrow at 10:10 BST 🏆