The rising scrutiny on equality within sport has sparked a lot of conversation, about our duty to make rowing open for all. I think this provides a great opportunity to showcase the all-too-often unspoken world of state-school rowing which in fact has been in operation for generations already and continues to grow.
It is no secret that government funded schools are under huge strain – every pound spent is inspected and teachers are taking on more pupils year on year. This is what makes state-school rowing so admirable. In an age when it would be so easy for teachers to stop volunteering their own free time and completely understandable for schools to cut out extra-curricular commitments, they continue to not only function, but create incredible athletes. The pressure of academic league tables would be enough to force some schools to scrap sport but we, the junior athletes, are living proof of the importance of expressing different talents, and I commend schools for empowering young people, which helps to create a sense of community greater than any classroom could.
The state-school rowing clubs that I have come into contact with are highly competitive and on many an occasion out-perform heavily funded organisations such as elite clubs or private schools. There is an archaic misconception that these schools cannot perform to as high of a standard yet, if we look more closely at individual cases, there is no need for a big name or bank account to create fantastic results, time and time again.
The Windsor Boy’s School; arguably the most successful comprehensive state school in the sport of rowing at present. Last year the boys not only won the Fawley Challenge Cup at Henley Royal Regatta for the second year in a row but also set a new course record, defeating the boat they lost out to at the National Schools’ Regatta in the process. After winning GB trials in November, Julian Van Gelderin is certainly one to watch and will be hoping to follow in the footsteps of fellow Windsorian Bryn Ellery, who won silver at the Junior World Championships in 2017 and 2018. This school has produced numerous GB representatives as well as countless medals on the national stage too. All boys are given the chance to row, embodying the belief that anyone can become an exceptional athlete.
Queen’s Park High School, Chester is a developing feature in the North-West region, yet still picks up wins across local events and larger scale races such as the Head of the North of England (Chester). They have had great success on the ergo recently, with a gold medal at the English Indoor Rowing Championships in the J16 relay, silver in the women’s relay and bronze in the J14 relay.
St Leonard’s School, Durham provides every student with comprehensive education and the opportunity to be a part of their hugely successful rowing club – at a total up-front cost of zero – which truly epitomises opportunity for all. St Leonard’s is home to three recent U23 and Senior rowing World Champions and current GB Women’s coach James Harris, all of whom accessed rowing from the age of 11, at the school, without any club fees. St Leonard’s continues to be one of the leading junior clubs in the northern region, led by dedicated volunteer coaches, nearly 50 years on from its birth.
Monmouth Comprehensive School, in Wales, had two athletes qualify for the Home Internationals Regatta in 2017 and over the past two years have had crews reach A and B finals at the National Schools’ Regatta and the British Championships. Coaches at the Welsh behemoth produce consistently impressive results.
Queen Elizabeth High School, Hexham is yet another school who operate a production line of athletes into the GB trialling system. Their alumni includes two Olympians and several U23 world champions, which is a testament to the dedication put in by their volunteer coaches; Head Coach Pauline Higgins was recently presented with a Queen’s Jubilee Medal for her unwavering support. An impressive girl’s four, now at university, recently won six gold medals, one silver and two bronze across nine national events during their time at the club. QEHS have over 30 National School’s and British Championships titles to their name, including a win in the J18 1x and J18 2- last summer.
Having spoken to proud members of state school rowing clubs, they admit they feel inferior to the ‘big school names’ before the marshal has even shouted “Go”. Living in a richly diverse and progressive society, there can be no space for this.
As a rower, I have nothing but admiration for anyone who takes on this sport, whether it be at a public school or a small local club. Together, we are a community that continues to grow almost exponentially. This article is not a plea for ‘positive discrimination’ towards state schools, nor is it putting down the undeniably incredible work orchestrated by those who happen to be paying for education. Simply, we are all guilty of falling into the trap of believing that the bigger names command more respect or that crews who don’t attend every national event – the majority of which take place in Southern England – aren’t worthy of a place in the starting blocks.
Within the rowing community, athletes have incredibly different experiences of the sport, but what brings all of us together is a mutual understanding of the boundaries we will push to be the best that we can be. Whether you’re the fastest junior sculler in the country, or an E-finalist at the British Championships, we share in the knowledge that rowing is a unique sport – we love it for the same reasons that we hate it. There is no pain quite as searing as a 2km test, yet there is no joy quite as unbridled as a 2km personal best. The emotions that we all go through, week in week out don’t recognise bias or predicated belief. Excellence has no accent, no education, no postcode or family history.
In summary, we are keen to highlight that nothing limits our rowing ability. Some have greater access to the tools required to climb the ladder but it our drive and determination that will see us climb. Therefore, it is up to us, as the future of rowing in Great Britain, to take on the challenge of inclusion for all and to destroy the toxic elitism that continues to fester in our sport. Together, we should be forging a culture of mass improvement, of inclusivity and diversity across the length and breadth of the country.
At Junior Rowing News, the span of our coverage continues to grow as we attempt to marry up our efforts on the page with our efforts on the water.
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