CLUBS & SOCIETIES
Radley Mariners The Boat Club enjoyed another successful season across all the age groups. Highlights for the senior squad included a win at the Fours Head in the J18 Coxless Four event, in a new record time, and a second place in the J18 Coxed Four event. There was also a win in the J18 1st Eight at the Wallingford Head, as well as a win in the Junior Fours event. At the Schools’ Head of the River, the 1st Eight achieved 2nd place as did the 2nd Eight, with the 3rd Eight winning their division. Radley also won the Thames Team Trophy for the topperforming school in the senior division for the second year in a row. At the National Schools’ Regatta, the 1st Eight narrowly missed out on the medals, finishing in 4th place overall. The 2nd and 3rd Eights both won the gold medal in their respective divisions. Special mention should also be made about our J15 group who won the gold medal in the 15.1 and 15.2 events with the 15.3 crew winning bronze in the 15.2 division. Sixty-five Shell rowers were also active on the river this season, which bodes well for the future of the club. At the Henley Royal Regatta, the 1st Eight came up against a strong crew from the USA, St Joseph’s Preparatory School, in the first round and managed to win fairly comfortably. They then had good wins against Reading Blue Coat School and King’s College School to advance to the semi-finals. In the semi-final they raced a strong St Edward’s crew who had won the gold medal at the National Schools’ Regatta. The Radley crew raced very well, holding overlap with St Edward’s all the way down the course, but unfortunately were not able to get their bows into the lead in what was one of the fastest times in the event. St Edward’s went on to win the Princess Elizabeth Challenge Cup. After Henley we had seven candidates who had qualified for the final GB Trials after some intensive testing during the course of the year. Niamh Murphy (2018, C) was selected as cox for the England U19 women’s team and went on to win a gold medal in the Eights event and a silver medal in the Coxed Fours event at the Home International Regatta. Adam Fowler (2018, E) and Angus (6.2) were selected for the GB Team for the Coupe de la Jeunesse in Amsterdam which has finals on both the last two days of the event. Adam won two gold medals in the Coxed Four and a gold and silver in the Eight. Angus won a gold and silver in the Coxless Four event. Ben German (2018, H) was also selected for the GB team, but unfortunately had to pull out due to an injury suffered in training during the event.
Tom George and Ollie Wynne-Griffith, silver medalists in the Men’s Pair at the Senior World Rowing Championships. Championships which take place in October. Bob (6.2) and Gabriel (6.2) were selected for the GB Eight for the U19 World Rowing Championships which was held on the Olympic rowing course in Paris. The Eight won the gold medal in the final. This was the first time since 2018 that GB has won the gold medal in this event. Old Radleians were also very active and successful in their rowing endeavours over the past season. At Henley Royal Regatta we had two Mariners crews who both narrowly missed qualifying for the Brittania Challenge Cup. Ned Rae Smith (2014,A) competed for Dartmouth University in the Wyfold Challenge Cup, Joshua Bowesman-Jones (2012, J) reached the final racing for Leander Club in the Visitors’ Challenge Cup, and Cameron Tasker (2017, E) raced with Washington University in the Temple Challenge Cup (during the season Cameron also raced for the Washington University 1st Eight which came a very close second in the Inter-Collegiate Championships, the premier rowing event in the USA). Tom George (2008, G) and Ollie Wynne-Griffith (2007, D/J) won the Silver Goblets and Nickalls’ Challenge Cup in the pair, and Felix Rawlinson (2014,F) raced in the GB U23 eight in the Ladies’ Challenge Plate. On the international front, Tom George and Ollie Wynne-Griffith won the silver medal in the men’s pair event at the Senior World Championships, Felix Rawlinson was in the GB U23 Eight that won the gold at the U23 World Championships, and Charlie Elwes (2010, J) won gold in the GB Eight at the Senior World Championships. 2023 was the first time ever that a single nation (Great Britain) had won all three eights’ events at the three official World Championship events (Senior, U23 and U19) and the only school that had pupils or past pupils in all three boats was Radley College. John Gearing, Head Coach Sam Townsend, MiC Rowing
Hector (6.2) won the junior beach sprint title at the British Coastal Rowing Championships during the summer holidays. This achievement gained him selection to represent GB at the European Coastal Rowing Championships and the World Coastal Rowing
For more information about joining or supporting the Radley Mariners, visit their webpage: https://www.radley.org.uk/radleian-society/clubs-societies/
The GB team, including Charlie Elwes, winners of the Men’s Eight at the Senior World Rowing Championships.
The GB team, including Felix Rawlinson, winners of the Men’s Eight at the U23 World Rowing Championships. the old radleian 2023
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