Historically, rowing was seen as a sport for the social elite – dominated by private school boys and reserved for a particular class. Thankfully, those days are behind us, and the sport’s commitment to greater inclusivity is being reflected on the world stage through progressions in parity at events like Henley Royal Regatta. Whilst the physical and mental health benefits of rowing are well documented, what’s less often discussed is the impact the sport can have on opening doors – socially, academically, and professionally.
I was state-school educated and learnt to row at the local club. Like many others, I was hooked instantly, spending every spare moment on the water. What I hadn’t anticipated, however, was how rowing would transform my networks and opportunities. The sport introduced me to academic pathways, like applying to Oxford/Cambridge, that were otherwise inaccessible to many of my school peers. Rowing expanded my horizons in ways I hadn’t imagined and it’s this experience that fuels my belief that rowing should be a part of more state-school sporting curriculums.
Several rowing programmes like London Youth Rowing and Fulham Reach Boat Club demonstrate how exposure to the sport can open doors to scholarships, higher education, and long-term professional opportunities. Prior to the 2016 Boat Race, a BBC interviewer asked if I felt hindered because I was state-school educated. It was an interesting question. My answer was, and still is, no. If anything, my state-school education instilled a tenacity and hardiness that served me well in my elite rowing career and beyond. However, without rowing, I feel I wouldn’t have accessed the networks or knowledge to unlock those pathways.
Introducing rowing into state schools is not without its challenges; equipment, race fees and travel costs are significant barriers. But, with creative thinking and collaboration with local rowing clubs, these challenges can be overcome. Charities like Love Rowing and the recently launched Infinity Boat Club, are already doing outstanding work to build rowing programmes for state schools, helping to keep more children active while offering greater variety in their choice of school sporting options. From a high-performance perspective, expanding rowing’s reach only strengthens the sport. Greater access increases participation, raising standards and widening the talent pools across the country.
Many non-fee-paying school alumni have been a part of rowing’s sporting history, right through to the Olympic level – often more than people realise. You could say we’ve been quietly infiltrating the elite ranks for years, though it often goes unnoticed. Instead, attention is disproportionately drawn to teams dominated by private school alumni, while their state-school counterparts are overlooked. Take the 2016 Boat Race crew I coxed, for example. Multiple athletes were state-school educated. Yet, those clever double-barrelled surnames often trick people into assuming otherwise. As a sport, we can do far more to spotlight these role models and show young people that they, too, belong on the world’s biggest stages.
We are at a time in rowing where initiatives and charities like Love Rowing are driving the accessibility of our sport for those who have historically been underrepresented in programmes. We have a chance to foster a more diverse generation of athletes whilst breaking down the barriers traditionally associated with rowing. There is a large community who share the same passion for our sport, and now is a prime time to join this movement whilst it operates with such momentum.
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