Great British Rowing Weekend: Doncaster club seeks Team GB stars of future

Doncaster Rowing Club is hosting the public on September 7, giving people the chance to give rowing a try, with British Rowing looking to grow participation.

Doncaster has around 140 members and will be hosting a variety of family events.

Club chair Adrian Taggart said: “The club’s sessions on a Saturday usually run from 8-12, but at 12 o’clock we’re just going to stay back for a couple of hours.

“We’ll have a barbecue, and we’ll have some silly racing games in stuff like big plastic tubs and having a bit of a knock-out competition over a 300-yard course.

“Then we’re all going to sit on the steps and watch the juniors demonstrate their balance skills in a single scull [boat], and we’ll give them points – 50 points if you can do a headstand – and hopefully they’ll fall in and entertain us.

“We’re also having a ‘scratch eights’ competition where we’re going to make composite crews of two senior men, two senior women, two Learn to Row graduates and two juniors.

“It’s just a splash-about and a bit of a fun session.”

After a disappointing Games in Tokyo, the British rowing team enjoyed a spectacular return to form during the Paris Olympics, winning nine medals including three golds, and have more success in their sights at the ongoing Paralympics.

Doncaster recently had Amelia Westbrook win silver with Great Britain as part of the women’s eight crew in the World Rowing Under-19 Championships too.

Mr Taggart said: “We’re not in an area that has a school associated with rowing that produces lots of mature rowers.

“There’s no history of rowing as a competitive sport within Doncaster, we’re in a nice park and the original boathouse was this Victorian building that used to rent out rowing boats just for pleasure.

“Back in 1989, some local people got together and recovered this old building, swept it out and put a roof on it, got some boats and started a rowing club, and it’s still going.

“We feel quite proud of that because, as I said, it’s not an area associated with rowing.”

For more information visit britishrowing.org