Why is junior rowing so often the preserve of private schools in the UK? It’s a complicated question to answer and requires you to examine all facets of our sport – the cost, the locations, the personalities, the history. Rowing has had a strong historical association with the upper echelons of society, perpetuated by a dramatically outdated class system that unfortunately still pervades British society to this day.
The problem statement, as has so often been posited on this platform, is how we change rowing for the better and make it a more inclusive, holistically appealing sport. Although schools like Eton, Hampton, Radley and Winchester still rule the roost, the rise of state schools competing at the sharp end of junior rowing in the UK is a trend that can no longer be ignored.
Queen’s Park High School (QPHS), Chester is one such example of this. Founded in 1946, they are one of only four state schools in the country to be able to leverage their own Boat House. Sustained entirely by volunteers, the club attend most of the locally run competitions and several national heads and regattas each year. Richard Cox, Chairman of the Boat Club and father to one of the athletes on the current roster, is an important example of a turning tide. Named as Regional Volunteer of the Year award for the North West 2017 by British Rowing in recognition of his significant contribution to the sport, Richard is a powerful advert for the benefits of voluntary investment and passion for a sport.
Before getting involved with QPHS, Richard knew little about the sport. “My daughter started rowing in 2010 for QPHS,” he explained. “We started attending the events and sort of got pulled in that way. I’d never been in a boat or had any real interest before that, but took a Learn To Row course, got my coaching badges and took over as Chairman a few years ago. It’s just addictive – watching the growth of kids coming in not knowing much and leaving years later as accomplished rowers”.
The QPHS ethos is focused on keeping young people involved with the sport – Richard wants to develop children to the point where once they’ve left the boat club they’re keen to continue at university or beyond. To understand the challenges a state school might have in creating and maintaining a functional rowing club, you need to look beyond the lack of funding and volunteer-based approach. “One of our key problems is retaining kids when they’re heading into Sixth Form,” said Richard. “We have a number of very good local sixth forms, who have a broader range of subjects available”.
The other important consideration is that young people are growing up and developing new interests, in both life and each other. As a sport that demands so much of its participants, rowing is not well suited to part-time commitment. “We’ve set up a recreational group to combat this,” noted Richard. “Kids can come down on a Saturday afternoon and get on the water and enjoy themselves. There is no coaching, aside from somebody in a boat for safety, and this has helped retain a group of people that would probably have left at age 16”.
Almost paradoxically, the club fight to keep students on a shoestring budget. “We do not have anybody based at the school as all of our coaches and supporting staff are volunteers,” said Richard. “We can’t go on lavish training camps or invest in equipment constantly to match the larger schools and clubs”.
And that is where Swift Racing enter the fray. So often looked upon as the cost-efficient, reliable alternative to the larger boat brands, Swift Racing have provided extensive support for QPHS in boat procurement, servicing and maintenance. “Dominic (Vincent) is extremely supportive and his knowledge of the equipment is second to none,” explained Richard. “Four or five years ago, we were looking to renew our fleet and examining different suppliers. Dom and Swift Racing just came across the best – there was obviously a great pricing point but at the time we felt his passion and excitement best suited our project”.
Swift Racing, whose products are distributed in the UK and Ireland by Rowing Centre UK, operate an on-call policy and QPHS can reach out whenever there is an issue, tapping into not only the company’s extensive experience but also the wide range of spares and parts. It is clear that to drive excellence within a state school program, a reliable boat building partner is a must-have. Swift Racing have helped develop the QPHS program and in turn Richard and his team have invested into their portfolio and given Swift Racing the opportunity to showcase a dynamic fleet that is perfectly suited to the needs of the customer.
“We’ve got a mix of boats, across the four levels that Swift Racing offer, including quads, doubles and singles,” he explained. “Our ultimate aim is to have kids that row regularly on the water and stay involved in the sport and Swift Racing are helping us achieve this every day”.
QPHS are a regular feature at top national events and Richard acknowledges that to have a crew compete at Henley Royal Regatta or to win a national medal would be remarkable. The British Rowing Junior Championships tend to be used as a barometer for success and the approach has always been around allowing the athletes to find their own platform for achievement.
“If exceptional crews want to go on and compete at the very top end of junior rowing, we will absolutely support that,” mused Richard. “Fundamentally though, we’re aiming to provide an environment for kids to enjoy our sport, meet new people, embrace the culture and learn something. If we can achieve that, I’d say our program is doing what is it supposed to do”.
Swift Racing UK is an Official Partner to JRN
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