Matthew Tarrant

Rower // Men's Squad
Date of Birth: 11th Jul 1990 (34 years old)
Club: Oxford Brookes University Boat Club
Height: 194.00
Hometown: Shepperton

Matthew Tarrant profile image

Mat Tarrant is a double World Champion who was named as one of two reserves for the openweight men's squad at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games.

Tarrant has progressed through the ranks of the GB Rowing Team, winning a host of medals at junior and U23 level as well at the FISU World University Championships.

In 2017, Tarrant won two golds and a silver in the World Cup series of regattas in the men’s four, before going on to win a bronze medal at the World Rowing Championships in Sarasota-Bradenton behind Australia and Italy.

Mat won World Championship gold in 2014 and 2015, having also won medals at Junior and U23 level

On The Water

2015

World Champion Men's Coxed Pair

2014

World Champion Men's Eight

European Bronze Medallist Men's Eight

2012

World U23 Champion Men's Pair

2011

World U23 Bronze Medallist Men's Eight

2010

World University Champion Men's Eight

World U23 Bronze Medallist Men's Eight

2008

World Junior Silver Medallist Men's Coxed Four

Rio 2016 Olympiad: 2013 – 2016

Mat was selected to partner Nathaniel Reilly-O’Donnell in one of two GB men’s pairs for the 2016 season and they got off to a strong start, winning an impressive gold at the Varese World Cup. They then won bronze at the Lucerne World Cup, only being denied silver by the Netherlands in a photo-finish. Another close race at the Poznan World Cup saw Mat and Nathaniel finish fourth, just behind fellow Brits Alan Sinclair and Stewart Innes. Mat and Nathaniel were selected as spares for the heavyweight men’s sweep squad at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games.

Mat finished 2015 by winning World Championship gold with Nathaniel Reilly-O’Donnell and cox Henry Fieldman, finishing six seconds clear of the field in the men’s coxed pair. He had been a spare for the European Championships and joined Callum McBrierty in the men’s pair at the World Cup in Varese, finishing sixth. They were joined by Henry in the coxed pair for the Lucerne World Cup, recording a convincing victory.

Mat had started the Olympiad in the men’s four with Nathaniel, Alan Sinclair and Scott Durant. They finished fourth at the World Cup in Sydney before winning silver at Eton Dorney. After placing tenth at the Lucerne World Cup, the four finished fifth overall at the World Championships in Chungju.

The 2014 season saw Mat race with the eight throughout, starting with a bronze medal at the European Championships in Belgrade. He also won World Cup silver in Aiguebelette and bronze in Lucerne before claiming his first World Championships gold as GB recorded a convincing victory in Amsterdam to retain their title.

London 2012 Olympiad: 2009 – 2012

Mat won gold in both the eight and four at the 2009 Australian Youth Olympic Festival, as well as silver in the pair, before making his World U23 Championships bow with an 11th-placed finish in the men’s four in Racice.

(Clockwise from back left) Nathaniel Reilly-O'Donnell, Will Satch, Pete Reed, Constantine Louloudis, cox Phelan Hill, Tom Ransley, Paul Bennett, Matt Gotrel and Mat Tarrant after winning men's eight gold at the 2014 World Championships in Amsterdam
Matthew Tarrant and Kieren Emery won men's pair gold at the 2012 World U23 Championships

The following year’s championships in Brest saw Mat win bronze with the men’s eight. He went on to take gold in the same boat at the FISU World University Championships in Hungary a few weeks later.

Mat’s senior debut came at the 2011 European Championships in a men’s four that also featured Scott Durant – they won the B final and placed seventh overall.

He made a successful return to the World U23 Championships in 2012, winning men’s pair gold with Kieren Emery in Trakai after an impressive performance. The same pair also raced at the European Championships in Varese, finishing just outside the medals.

GB Competitive Record

Year Event Position Boat
2019 World Rowing Championships
Linz Ottensheim, AUT
M8+
2019 World Rowing Cup III
Rotterdam, NED
M8+
2019 World Rowing Cup II
Poznan, POL
M8+
2019 European Rowing Championships
Lucerne, SUI
M8+
2018 World Rowing Championships
Plovdiv, BUL
M8+
2018 European Rowing Championships
Glasgow, GBR
5 M8+
2018 World Rowing Cup II
Linz Ottensheim, AUT
M8+
2018 World Rowing Cup I
Belgrade, SRB
M8+
2017 World Rowing Championships
Sarasota-Bradenton, USA
M4-
2017 World Rowing Cup III
Lucerne, SUI
M4-
2017 World Rowing Cup II
Poznan, POL
M4-
2017 European Rowing Championships
Racice, CZE
5 M4-
2017 World Rowing Cup I
Belgrade, SRB
M4-
2016 World Rowing Cup III
Poznan, POL
4 M2-
2016 World Rowing Cup II
Lucerne, SUI
M2-
2016 World Rowing Cup I
Varese, ITA
M2-
2015 World Rowing Championships
Aiguebelette, FRA
M2+
2015 World Rowing Cup III
Lucerne, SUI
M2+
2015 World Rowing Cup II
Varese, ITA
6 M2-
2014 World Rowing Championships
Amsterdam, NED
M8+
2014 World Rowing Cup III
Lucerne, SUI
M8+
2014 World Rowing Cup II
Aiguebelette, FRA
M8+
2014 European Rowing Championships
Belgrade, SRB
M8+
2013 World Rowing Championships
Chungju, KOR
5 M4-
2013 World Rowing Cup III
Lucerne, SUI
4 (FB Final) M4-
2013 World Rowing Cup II
Eton, GBR
M4-
2013 World Rowing Cup I
Sydney, AUS
4 M4-
2012 European Championships
Varese, ITA
4 M2-
2012 Under 23 World Rowing Championships
Trakai, LTU
BM2-
2011 European Championships
Plovdiv, BUL
1 (FB Final) M4-
2011 Under 23 World Rowing Championships
Amsterdam, NED
BM8+
2010 Under 23 World Rowing Championships
Brest, BLR
BM8+
2009 Under 23 World Rowing Championships
Racice, CZE
5 (FB Final) BM4-
2008 World Rowing Championships
Linz Ottensheim, AUT
JM4+
2007 World Rowing Junior Championships
Beijing, CHN
1 (FB Final) JM2-
Year:
2019
Event:
World Rowing Championships
Linz Ottensheim, AUT
Position:
Boat:
M8+
Year:
2019
Event:
World Rowing Cup III
Rotterdam, NED
Position:
Boat:
M8+
Year:
2019
Event:
World Rowing Cup II
Poznan, POL
Position:
Boat:
M8+
Year:
2019
Event:
European Rowing Championships
Lucerne, SUI
Position:
Boat:
M8+
Year:
2018
Event:
World Rowing Championships
Plovdiv, BUL
Position:
Boat:
M8+
Year:
2018
Event:
European Rowing Championships
Glasgow, GBR
Position:
5
Boat:
M8+
Year:
2018
Event:
World Rowing Cup II
Linz Ottensheim, AUT
Position:
Boat:
M8+
Year:
2018
Event:
World Rowing Cup I
Belgrade, SRB
Position:
Boat:
M8+
Year:
2017
Event:
World Rowing Championships
Sarasota-Bradenton, USA
Position:
Boat:
M4-
Year:
2017
Event:
World Rowing Cup III
Lucerne, SUI
Position:
Boat:
M4-
Year:
2017
Event:
World Rowing Cup II
Poznan, POL
Position:
Boat:
M4-
Year:
2017
Event:
European Rowing Championships
Racice, CZE
Position:
5
Boat:
M4-
Year:
2017
Event:
World Rowing Cup I
Belgrade, SRB
Position:
Boat:
M4-
Year:
2016
Event:
World Rowing Cup III
Poznan, POL
Position:
4
Boat:
M2-
Year:
2016
Event:
World Rowing Cup II
Lucerne, SUI
Position:
Boat:
M2-
Year:
2016
Event:
World Rowing Cup I
Varese, ITA
Position:
Boat:
M2-
Year:
2015
Event:
World Rowing Championships
Aiguebelette, FRA
Position:
Boat:
M2+
Year:
2015
Event:
World Rowing Cup III
Lucerne, SUI
Position:
Boat:
M2+
Year:
2015
Event:
World Rowing Cup II
Varese, ITA
Position:
6
Boat:
M2-
Year:
2014
Event:
World Rowing Championships
Amsterdam, NED
Position:
Boat:
M8+
Year:
2014
Event:
World Rowing Cup III
Lucerne, SUI
Position:
Boat:
M8+
Year:
2014
Event:
World Rowing Cup II
Aiguebelette, FRA
Position:
Boat:
M8+
Year:
2014
Event:
European Rowing Championships
Belgrade, SRB
Position:
Boat:
M8+
Year:
2013
Event:
World Rowing Championships
Chungju, KOR
Position:
5
Boat:
M4-
Year:
2013
Event:
World Rowing Cup III
Lucerne, SUI
Position:
4 (FB Final)
Boat:
M4-
Year:
2013
Event:
World Rowing Cup II
Eton, GBR
Position:
Boat:
M4-
Year:
2013
Event:
World Rowing Cup I
Sydney, AUS
Position:
4
Boat:
M4-
Year:
2012
Event:
European Championships
Varese, ITA
Position:
4
Boat:
M2-
Year:
2012
Event:
Under 23 World Rowing Championships
Trakai, LTU
Position:
Boat:
BM2-
Year:
2011
Event:
European Championships
Plovdiv, BUL
Position:
1 (FB Final)
Boat:
M4-
Year:
2011
Event:
Under 23 World Rowing Championships
Amsterdam, NED
Position:
Boat:
BM8+
Year:
2010
Event:
Under 23 World Rowing Championships
Brest, BLR
Position:
Boat:
BM8+
Year:
2009
Event:
Under 23 World Rowing Championships
Racice, CZE
Position:
5 (FB Final)
Boat:
BM4-
Year:
2008
Event:
World Rowing Championships
Linz Ottensheim, AUT
Position:
Boat:
JM4+
Year:
2007
Event:
World Rowing Junior Championships
Beijing, CHN
Position:
1 (FB Final)
Boat:
JM2-

More info...

Mat made his first GB Rowing Team appearances at the 2007 and 2008 World Junior Championships, finishing seventh in the men’s pair on his debut in Beijing before winning a fine silver medal with the coxed four in Linz.

Club: Oxford Brookes University Boat Club
Boat: Men’s Squad
Role: Rower
Coaches: Christian Felkel
Learnt to Row: Weybridge Rowing Club
Original Club(s): Weybridge Rowing Club, Walton Rowing Club, Molesey Boat Club
Original Coach(es): Paul Willcocks, Nick de Cata, Henry Bailhache-Webb

Beyond the Boat

Mat was a keen rugby player before taking up rowing and remains a committed fan of the sport. He studies Construction Management at Oxford Brookes University and would like to take up property development after his rowing career.

He relaxes by playing Xbox, watching TV and going to the cinema. He is a big fan of Game of Thrones and his favourite film is Warrior.

Spain is Mat’s favourite travel destination – “it has been a holiday destination in my family for a very long time and as we always visited the same area, it feels like a second home.”

A self-proclaimed “big carnivore”, Mat likes nothing more than a massive steak with some chips and maybe a fried egg. He loves to cook and is a big fan of Jamie Oliver.

He is Lottery Funded through UK Sport.

Personal information

Place of Birth Current Address Home Town Region
Ashford Oxford Shepperton Middlesex
Place of Birth:
Ashford
Current Address:
Oxford
Home Town:
Shepperton
Region:
Middlesex
Date of Birth Height
11th July 1990 194cm
Date of Birth:
11th July 1990
Height:
194cm
Education
Oxford Brookes University
Education:
Oxford Brookes University