Great Britain selects team for World Rowing Cup I

Fifty athletes have been selected to represent Great Britain at the rowing season opener in Varese, Italy from 12-14 April 2024

Commenting on the team selection Louise Kingsley, British Rowing Director of Performance said: “We had some fantastic results last year including qualifying thirteen boats for the 2024 Paris Olympic and Paralympic Games. Now, after a long winter of training and testing, this season is all about stepping on and building towards Paris.

“World Rowing Cup I will see our Olympic athletes taking to the water for the first time this season. It’s a great opportunity to see how everyone has moved on over the winter and how crews are taking shape. We have 15 weeks until we travel to the Olympic Games and there is a lot of racing to come, so we will continue to refine and build as we progress through the Spring and into the Summer.”

Returning unchanged to kick-start their season are 2023 World Champion crews Emily Craig and Imogen Grant in the Lightweight women’s double sculls (LW2x); Lauren Henry, Hannah Scott, Lola Anderson and Georgie Brayshaw in the Women’s quadruple sculls (W4x); Oli Wilkes, David Ambler, Matt Aldridge and Freddie Davidson in the Men’s four (M4-) and Jacob Dawson, Morgan Bolding, Rory Gibbs, Sholto Carnegie, Charlie Elwes, Tom Digby, James Rudkin, Tom Ford and cox, Harry Brightmore in the Men’s eight (M8+).

Tokyo 2020 Olympian Graeme Thomas is returning to racing for the first time since winning a bronze medal in the men’s single sculls at the 2022 World Rowing Championships. He joins Callum Dixon, Tom Barras and Matt Haywood in the Men’s quadruple sculls (M4x).

“It’s amazing to be selected for this World Cup. It’s a big achievement and a lot of people have worked hard behind the scenes to help get me here” Graeme said, adding “It was an honour to represent GB in the single for a season and it was a real learning experience as in the single all your strengths and weaknesses are on show. Now, I’m looking forward to collaborating with and navigating being back as part of a crew in the quad. It’s always more fun being part of a team and I’m looking forward to getting back out on the water and seeing what we can achieve.”

Also returning to racing after missing the second half of the 2023 season is Sam Redgrave who joins Helen Glover, Esme Booth and Rebecca Shorten in the Women’s four (W4-). Sam said: “Last season was a challenge but I’ve had a good winter training block and I’m feeling really good now. The support of all the women in the squad along the way has been fantastic and we are all unified in our goals whichever boat we race in. My aim was for the four and I’m happy to be selected in that boat. It’s a new line up with a lot of energy, experience and potential and we’re excited to race in Varese.”

2023 World silver medallists and the fastest British Men’s pair ever, Ollie Wynne-Griffith and Tom George are back in the Men’s pair (M2-).

The Women’s Eight (W8+) of Heidi Long, Rowan McKellar, Lauren Irwin, Eve Stewart, Holly Dunford, Emily Ford, Hattie Taylor, Annie Campbell-Orde, and cox, Henry Fieldman will be doubling up into two women’s fours (W4-) with Heidi, Rowan, Holly and Emily as GBR2 and Hattie, Annie, Lauren and Eve as GBR3.

Tokyo 2020 Olympians Rebecca Edwards and Chloe Brew will race in the Women’s pair (W2-). Double World Cup bronze medallist Olivia Bates will also take to the water in the Lightweight women’s single sculls (LW1x).

George Bourne will race in the Men’s single sculls (M1x) and Seb Devereux returns to race with double Olympian, John Collins in the Men’s double sculls (M2x).

Sam Nunn, Will Stewart, James Robson, David Bewicke-Copley, Lucy Glover and Eleanor Brinkhoff are named as reserves.

You can follow World Rowing Cup I across British Rowing social media channels and here on our website as well as on the World Rowing website. Racing will also be shown on BBC iPlayer and the BBC website.

Para Rowing crews will join Olympic crews to race at the upcoming European Rowing Championships in Szeged, Hungary from 25-28 April 2024.

The Great Britain crews racing at World Rowing Cup I 2024 in Varese are:

Women’s Crews

Women’s eight (W8+)

Heidi Long (Leander Club/Marlow RC)
Rowan McKellar (Leander Club/Broxbourne RC)
Lauren Irwin (Leander Club/Durham University/Chester-le-Street ARC)
Eve Stewart (Leander Club)
Holly Dunford (Molesey BC)
Emily Ford (Leander Club)
Hattie Taylor (Leander Club/Sir William Perkins’s School)
Annie Campbell-Orde (Leander Club)
Henry Fieldman (cox) (Leander Club)
Coach: Rich Chambers

Women’s quadruple sculls (W4x)

Lauren Henry (Leicester RC)
Hannah Scott (Bann RC/Leander Club)
Lola Anderson (Leander Club/Newcastle University BC)
Georgie Brayshaw (Leander Club)
Coach: Andrew Randell

Women’s four (W4-) GBR1

Helen Glover (Marlow RC)
Esme Booth (Leander Club/Stratford upon Avon BC)
Sam Redgrave (Leander Club/Norwich RC)
Rebecca Shorten (Imperial College BC)
Coach: James Harris

Women’s four (W4-) GBR2

Heidi Long (Leander Club/Marlow RC)
Rowan McKellar (Leander Club/Broxbourne RC)
Holly Dunford (Molesey BC)
Emily Ford (Leander Club)
Coach: Rich Chambers

Women’s four (W4-) GBR3

Hattie Taylor (Leander Club/Sir William Perkins’s School)
Annie Campbell-Orde (Leander Club)
Lauren Irwin (Leander Club/Durham University/Chester-le-Street ARC)
Eve Stewart (Leander Club)
Coach: Rich Chambers

Lightweight women’s double sculls (LW2x)

Emily Craig (University of London BC)
Imogen Grant (Cambridge University BC)
Coach: Darren Whiter

Women’s pair (W2-)

Rebecca Edwards (Leander Club)
Chloe Brew (Leander Club/Plymouth ARC)
Coach: James Harris/Rich Chambers

Lightweight women’s single sculls (LW1x)

Olivia Bates (Nottinghamshire County RA/University of Nottingham BC)
Coach: Darren Whiter

Women’s reserves

Eleanor Brinkhoff (Leander Club)
Lucy Glover (Edinburgh University BC/Warrington RC)

Men’s Crews

Men’s eight (M8+)

Jacob Dawson (Leander Club/Plymouth ARC)
Morgan Bolding (Oxford Brookes University BC)
Rory Gibbs (Oxford Brookes University BC)
Sholto Carnegie (Leander Club/Marlow RC)
Charlie Elwes (Leander Club)
Tom Digby (Oxford Brookes University BC/Griffen BC)
James Rudkin (Newcastle University BC/Hollowell Scullers)
Tom Ford (Leander Club)
Harry Brightmore (cox) (Oxford Brookes University BC)
Coach: Steve Trapmore

Men’s quadruple sculls (M4x)

Callum Dixon (Twickenham RC)
Tom Barras (Burway RC/Leander Club)
Matt Haywood (Nottingham RC/Burton Leander RC)
Graeme Thomas (Agecroft RC)
Coach: Paul Stannard

Men’s four (M4-)

Oli Wilkes (Oxford Brookes University BC)
David Ambler (Oxford Brookes University BC)
Matt Aldridge (Oxford Brookes University BC/Christchurch RC)
Freddie Davidson (Oxford Brookes University BC)
Coach: Christian Felkel/Dan Moore

Men’s pair (M2-)

Ollie Wynne-Griffith (Leander Club/Cambridge University BC)
Tom George (Leander Club/Cambridge University BC)
Coach: Christian Felkel/Dan Moore

Men’s double sculls (M2x)
John Collins (Leander Club)
Seb Devereux (Leander Club)
Coach: Paul Stannard

Men’s single sculls (M1x)

George Bourne (Leander Club)
Coach: Kieran Clark

Men’s reserves

Will Stewart (Leander Club)
James Robson (Leander Club/Newcastle University BC)
David Bewicke-Copley (Oxford Brookes University BC)
Sam Nunn (Oxford Brookes University BC)

World Rowing Cup I, Team Management, Coaching and Support staff:

Louise Kingsley: Team Leader
Jo Bates: Team Manager
Maurice Hayes: Resources Manager
Paul Stannard: Head Coach – Men
Dan Moore: Men’s Coach
Steve Trapmore: Men’s Coach
Christian Felkel: Men’s Coach
Kieran Clark: Men’s Coach
Andrew Randell: Head Coach – Women
James Harris: Women’s Coach
Darren Whiter: Women’s Coach
Richard Chambers: Women’s Coach and Equipment Support
Ann Redgrave: Doctor
Penny Stern: Physiotherapist – Women
Emma Stewart: Physiotherapist – Men
Gareth Turner: Sports Science
Lizzie Jacobs: Sports Science
Shelley Wyatt: Communications and Media
Wendy Martinson: Nutritionist
Tom Dyson: Equipment Support
Karl Offord: Equipment Support
Paul Cobbett: Equipment Support