News

Posted: April 13, 2016

It wasn’t just the sun that was shining at Caversham as Scotland’s up and coming rowers made an early season statement of intent at the GB Rowing Team Senior, Under 23 and FISU Trials.  The trials aim to identify rowers for the non-Olympic summer programme which includes the World Rowing Championships and World Rowing Under 23 Championships (both being held in Rotterdam, the Netherlands - 21-28 August) and the FISU World University Rowing Championships (Poznan, Poland – 2-4 September).

There were three men’s pairs with Scottish interest that had progressed through to the top ranked ‘A’ final and it was Falkirk’s Cameron Buchan and his partner Matt Rossiter, representing Leander Club, who took the win two seconds ahead of the top Under 23 pair, Aberdeen’s Lewis McCue, representing Robert Gordon University, and Newcastle University’s James Rudkin.  Hamilton’s Graham Ord, rowing with Imperial College’s Oliver Hines, will have been pleased with finishing 6th overall and 4th fastest Under 23 pair whilst his Edinburgh University team mates Rufus Scholefield and Calum Irvine made up for a disappointing time trial by dominating their ‘C’ final to finish 13th overall.

Edinburgh’s Katherine Douglas was one of four Scots at these trials (along with Cameron Buchan, Lewis McCue and Emma McDonald) that had been part of the successful Scotland Rowing Team which had won the 2014 Commonwealth Rowing Championships.  Like Buchan, 26-year-old Douglas topped the field and put down a marker for the season ahead when she and Leander Club partner Fiona Gammond took the trials title with clear water at the finish.

In the lightweight categories Edinburgh University Boat Club had five scullers progressing through the time trials to the ‘A/B’ semi-finals with three of these athletes - Gavin Horsburgh (5th), Robyn Hart-Winks (5th) and Maddie Arlett (6th) - all taking their place in the ‘A’ final.  Matt Curtis was 2nd (8th overall) and Gregor Maxwell 5th (11th overall) in the lightweight men’s ‘B’ final with Glasgow University Boat Club’s Emma McDonald finishing 4th (10th overall) in the lightweight women’s ‘B’ final.

Another Edinburgh born rower, Melissa Wilson, 22, representing Cambridge University Women’s Boat Club, took a strong 2nd place in the ‘A’ final of the women’s single scull.

GB Rowing Team Senior and Under 23 Trials, Caversham April 11-12, 2016

Scottish rowers and athletes representing Scottish Rowing clubs
* indicates Under 23 athlete   # indicates previous GB Rowing Team international representation