News

Posted: October 31, 2013

World U23 silver medallist Iona Riley is one of seven students to gain scholarship support after rowing was confirmed as a Winning Students core sport.

Riley, a third year Applied Sport and Exercise Science student at Robert Gordon University (RGU), formed part of the GB women’s eight which made the podium in Austria.

She is joined on the programme by fellow RGU students Christie Duff and Lewis McCue and by Kieran Brown (University of Edinburgh), Jack Burns (University of Strathclyde), Emma McDonald (University of Glasgow) and James Scott (Heriot-Watt University).

Rowing has been welcomed as a core sport, meaning Scottish Rowing’s performance team will work closely with their scholarship counterparts to identify and support talented rowers studying across Scotland.

University is recognised as an important platform to develop rowing talent, evidenced with some 84% of the 2013 GB senior world championship team having rowed whilst at university and of those, 21% starting the sport whilst studying.

Scottish Rowing has established performance programmes in Aberdeen through a partnership with RGU and the University of Aberdeen and at both the University of Edinburgh and University of Glasgow.

These programmes provide flexible support, with students from other colleges and universities accessing the facilities and coaching. Support from Winning Students will also assist in financing vital training camps and competition.

Lee Boucher, Scottish Rowing National High Performance Co-Ordinator, said: “Student rowing in Scotland is on a high at the moment with record numbers participating up and down the country and our exciting partnership with Winning Students and the sector will allow us to provide crucial support to our most promising student athletes to help them along the performance pathway.”

Rowing is the eleventh core sport of the Winning Students scholarship programme, which brings governing bodies of sport closer to the college and university sector.

Jason Atkins, Winning Students Programme Co-ordinator, said: “We are delighted to welcome rowing as a core sport of the Winning Students sports scholarship programme. The Scottish Rowing performance team recognises the value of combining sport and study and we look forward to working together to support the brightest talent based here in Scotland.”