News

Posted:05 June 2026

Excitement is building for this weekend’s Scottish Rowing Championships, with history-making moments, anniversary celebrations and record-breaking entries all combining to make it one of the biggest and most exciting editions of the event at Strathclyde Park.

This year’s championships, delivered with the support of North Lanarkshire Council, are set to be the biggest yet, with the number of competingcrews up by 14% on last year and 46 clubs from across the UK entered, along with one visiting club from the USA. The scale of the entry underlines the growing appeal of the event and sets the stage for a packed weekend of high-quality racing.

In March of this year, Henley Royal Regatta confirmed that the event would be recognised for qualification purposes, attracting a wave of new crews from south of the border and adding even more depth, quality and intensity to an already exciting weekend of racing.

Among the headline events is the Women’s Eights, which returns after a thrilling contest at Spring Regatta earlier this year. With eleven crews entered, another close battle for top honours looks likely, including the prospect of a rematch between Edinburgh Univ. BC and Newcastle Univ. BC after their dramatic A Final at Spring and the potential for further excitement with the addition of Durham Univ. BC. We have two former Olympians taking to the course this weekend, Phillip Wilson of New Zealand is competing for Clydesdale ARC and Nazanin Malaei of Iran is rowing for Strathclyde Park RC both in their respective Single Scull events. The Open 2- is also shaping up to be one of the races of the weekend, with Oscar Forbes of Aberdeen BC and Nathan Field of St Andrew BC returning after their dominant Spring Regatta performance. They will line up against 18 other crews, all chasing the prestigious William Denny Cup, first presented around 1895.

There is no shortage of silverware on the line across the weekend. The Walter Freer Cup, first presented around 1913, will be contested in the Open 1x, while the Amanda Cobb Trophy for the Women’s 1x and the Jo Pinder Trophy for the Women’s 2- both return after being introduced in 2024. The event is also piloting a Young People’s Panel (YPP) Pennant for the Open and Women’s J17 1x. Led by Scottish Rowing’s YPP, this award is intended to spotlight the country’s top J17 single scullers as they compete within the large and highly competitive J18 category.

Image: Scottish Rowing. The four Trophies sitting on the pontoon at Strathclyde Park.

The strength and depth of the entry list is on full display across the age groups. More than 110 Masters crews will take to the water, with the Women’s Masters 2x alone attracting 22 entries spanning categories A to G. At the other end of the field, a record-breaking 346 junior crews are set to race, with the Open and Women’s Single Sculls packed with emerging talent and future stars of the sport.

That remarkable spread of competitors is one of the standout stories of the weekend, with the youngest athlete aged just 12, from Glasgow Academy, and the oldest 83, from Inverness RC, underlining the inclusive, lifelong appeal of rowing across Scotland and beyond.

Image: SI Events. W Mas 2x racing at the Spring Regatta in April 2026.

This year’s event will also mark a special milestone: 40 years since rowing last featured in the Commonwealth Games. In 1986, the Commonwealth Games Rowing event was held at Strathclyde Park, and on Saturday the Championships will welcome athletes, officials, coaches and volunteers who were part of those Games for a celebration of that memorable occasion. We will also be getting a visit from Finnie the Unicorn, official mascot of the Glasgow 2026 Games.

As part of the celebrations, a ceremonial row past will take place at 11:15, with spectators encouraged to gather at the medal pontoon to cheer on the crews’ featuring athletes who competed at the Games. Afterwards, guests from the 1986 Games will be on the event field until 14:00, offering visitors the chance to meet them, hear their stories and be part of a unique piece of Scottish rowing history.

Image: Gordon Kerr. The Mens 4- race lining up at the start during the 1986 Commonwealth Games

With top-class racing, historic trophies, rising stars, returning legends and a packed programme across the weekend, the Scottish Rowing Championships promise something for everyone. We look forward to welcoming athletes, coaches, volunteers, spectators and supporters along to Strathclyde Park, to soak up the atmosphere and cheer on the crews as one of the highlights of the Scottish rowing calendar unfolds.