RGS Rowers Impress at Stratford Upon Avon Regatta
Last Saturday, the RGS Rowing team competed in the Stratford Upon Avon Regatta with notable achievements across several categories. Head of Rowing, Mr Tim Messent, provides the following report:
The Open Junior 14 coxed quad, comprised of Alby Encoh, Archie Davey, Sam Frettingham, and Peter Jackson, initially coxed by Arthur Hasling, showed promising form by winning their first round and progressing through to the semi-final. Following strategic changes, Arthur Hasling transitioned from cox to crew, with Amelia Gutteridge taking over the coxswain duties. Despite a competitive performance, they did not achieve a place in the next round.
Emily Anderson represented RGS in the Women’s event within the J15 age group, demonstrating significant improvement and narrowing the gap between pupils from King’s School.
The Women’s Junior 14 coxed quad, steered by Amelia Gutteridge and powered by Evie Powell, Grace Challinor, Emily Pipe, and coxswain Chloe McLelland, exhibited commendable progress but faced tough opposition, resulting in elimination.
In the J14 girls’ category, Erin Docherty and Emelia Buck competed in the double sculls, showcasing smooth technique but ultimately being defeated.
The J15 boys commenced their races strongly, with Ben Andrews clinching victory in the J15 1x band 2 single scull after dominating both the semi-final and final races. Meanwhile, Ozzy Beswick contested in the Open Junior 15 single band one event, triumphing in the first round against King’s School before bowing out in the semi-finals to Evesham Rowing Club.
In the J15 coxed quads events, the band 1 crew of Noah Chilton, Sihan Fu, Zac Johnson, and Oliver Maggs, coxed by Tobey Prendergast, encountered formidable competition and was unable to advance. Conversely, in the band 2 event, the crew of Oliver Jukes, Bruno Bond-Evans, Ben Andrews, and Thomas Pound, coxed by Ozzy Beswick, encountered a setback with a seat issue at the start, leading to their defeat. However, the second band 2 quad of Elwyn Pudge, Cooper Collins, Callum Munday, and Max Wesley, coxed by James Stoodley, emerged victorious, surging past King’s School and securing a decisive win in the final against Monmouth Comprehensive School.
Moving to the Open Junior 18 singles events, Daniel Foster progressed through the first round before succumbing to Chilton College in the semi-final of the Band 2 category. In Band 1, Matthew Ferris triumphed over Monmouth Comprehensive School in the initial round, setting up a thrilling final clash against Ferris from Evesham. In an exhilarating showdown, RGS’s Matthew Ferris emerged victorious by a narrow margin.
Overall, RGS celebrated three wins out of a total of twelve events, highlighting their prowess on the water:
- Open Junior 15 Coxed Quad: Elwyn Pudge, Cooper Collins, Callum Munday, Max Wesley, coxed by James Stoodley
- Open Junior 15 Single Scull: Ben Andrews
- Open Junior 18 Single Scull Band 1: Matthew Ferris
Looking ahead, the team is gearing up for the Henley Women’s Regatta, where Olivia Hodgson and Lucy Whiteley will compete in the Junior Double Sculls. With 30 crews presenting themselves at qualifiers and only eight making it to the Saturday, Lucy and Olivia are in for some exciting racing! In an article featured on Junior Rowing News, the forecast for RGS is particularly promising, saying: “Worcester have entered a young junior 17 pairing who have been facing the older girls, and faring well all season. Whiteley and Hodgson came fifth at the National Schools’ Regatta in the double and first in their own age category at the Junior Sculling Regatta by over nine seconds. The benefit these two have is they’re not new to the double and have another year to give it another go” To read more, please click here.
