News

Posted: 27th February 2025

The second sets of trials of the season, the first of 2025 have been for our aspiring GB Internationals in the U19, U23/FISU, Senior and Para categories, spread across three weekends between Boston, Lincolnshire, and GB Rowing HQ, Caversham.

The first of the three events was the Senior, U23 and FISU open trial, taking place on the river Witham in Boston. Eight athletes travelled down from Scotland for the trial, with Edinburgh University’s Freddy Foxwell & Magnus Heidenreich racing first the in M2x, where they finished sixth and seventh ranked U23’s respectively. 

Katie Robertson & Rachel Aldridge of Edinburgh University BC & St Andrew BC raced in the W2-, both still only in their second year in the sport, finished 15th overall in the stiffly contested Senior category. The remaining travelling Scots all raced in the W1x; Sophia Issberner of University of St Andrews BC finished 23rd overall (13th U23) in only her second ever trial. Penny Irvine & Grace Dawson of Edinburgh University BC finished 27th and 28th in the field (17/18th U23), respectively, with Rosie Wilson of Glasgow University BC, finishing in 32nd (22nd U23) to complete the list.

Scottish ‘exiles’ flooded the M2- event, with James Robson (Cambridge University BC) returning with his Paris 2024 Olympic Spares partner to finish second overall, James was closely followed by Archie Drummond (Leander Club) in fourth, Miles Beeson (Leander Club) in sixth and James Doran (Oxford University BC) in eighth. Athletes with Senior, U23 and FISU aspirations will be hoping for invitations to the April Trials Regatta at Caversham on the 12/13th April.

One week later, it was the U19’s turn to take to the water in Boston. A modest group of four athletes made the journey, one in each category. Two athletes travelled down to race with Aberdeen Schools RC, both racing in 2-‘s. Finlay M finished 45th with his pairs partner from Kew House School. Gabz T, also racing with a partner from Kew House, finished 11th overall in the W2- field. Ezra F (George Watsons College BC) finished fourth in the M1x event, a big step on from his result earlier in the season, and this result was improved again in the 2x when he partnered up with an athlete from Windsor Boys School to win the 5k Trial. Briony W of The Glasgow Academy raced the W1x and finished a strong nineth place, before pairing up with an athlete from Wycliffe College to finish fifth place in the 2x. Athletes will be hoping for an invite to the U19 Spring Assessments at Nottingham in late March with eyes on an early GBRT Selection for the Munich Junior Regatta in May.

The following weekend was the Paralympic Programme Invitational Trial at Caversham, but unfortunately due to injury and illness, the Scottish athletes were unable to compete. We look forward to seeing them in action again in late April for the final Para selection trial.