News

MCSBC early 2009 review (Mar 2009)

Worcester Head on the 21st of February was a very positive day for the club as we took home four wins from six events! From these results crews were then chosen to compete at the National Junior Sculling Head (9th March) held at Dorney Lake in Eton, the venue chosen for the rowing in the 2012 Olympics.

This again was a great day for the club with great efforts by all the crews to produce the best racing performances of the season so far. We had three top 10 finishes, exceeding our previous best by some margin. One of these crews was the Junior Boys under 14’s coxed octuple, where it was their first major national event. They came seventh out of forty-eight in their category beating some big names such as Kingston Grammar School, Henley Rowing Club and Windsor Boys School. So a huge well done to the boys and to keep up the good work!

Above is the J16’s quad at the National Sculling Head, finishing 7th and selected to row for Wales & West of England this Summer

Also recently a major fundraising event that the club held was a Half Marathon to Henley (Sat 14 March). This took place along the River Thames, finishing in Henley-on Thames that is home of the famous regatta. All athletes took part with the seniors running the distance and the juniors a mix of running and walking throughout! So a huge well done to everybody! Also thanks to parents/coaches/teachers who supported the event by the organisation of check points and transport. All money raised from this event will go to MCSBC Friends to ensure success over the coming year, with aims of supporting the rowing club with equipment, race and transport fees.

From the fundraising of MCSBC Friends last year, we were able to purchase a fast single sculling boat made by “Wintech”. The boat is to be used by athletes preparing to race in it at major events oncoming to this year. The single scull was named after Stephen Moore. Stephen is the Chairman of the Friends of MCSBC and a Governor of the school. He has been at the heart of the Friends since its inception three years ago and we wanted to recognise his contribution and thank him by naming the boat after him.

Junior Club 2009 is also now under way with taster sessions for the new rowers being organised for the Summer Term. This year, we are focusing on Year 8, with just 40 places available to ensure a good quality of experience for all – three qualified coaches will be at each session (one adult coach and two student coaches who passed their coaching qualifications before Christmas). Then they will continue into the main squad, improving their rowing and competing.

All information on the club can be found at www.mcsbc.co.uk.

Hannah James Vice Captain of MCSBC

Response to Beacon Letter (February 2009)

The Friends of Monmouth Comprehensive School Boat Club is parents’ support organisation for MCSBC. The Friends organisation is run independently of the Boat Club with the charitable aim to support the young rowers of MCSBC (Registered charity number 1120581).

From the fundraising of MCSBC Friends we were able to purchase a fast single sculling boat made by “Wintech”. The boat is to be used by athletes preparing to race in it at major events oncoming to this year. The single scull was named after Stephen Moore. Stephen is the Chairman of the Friends of MCSBC and a Governor of the school. He has been at the heart of the Friends since its inception three years ago and we wanted to recognise his contribution and thank him by naming the boat after him.

The Friends provides significant financial and practical support to MCSBC throughout the year by organising activities and events. The next events are of a Quiz and Curry night held at Monmouth Rugby Club on Saturday 31st January 2009. The other is a “Half Marathon to Henley” on Saturday 14th March 2009, along the River Thames, finishing in Henley-on Thames that is home of the famous regatta. All athletes will be taking part with the seniors running the distance and the juniors a mix of running and walking throughout! All money raised from these two events will go to MCSBC Friends with aims of supporting the rowing club with equipment, race and transport fees. Information about sponsorship of this event and information on the club can be found at www.mcsbc.co.uk.

Hannah James Vice Captain of MCSBC

Beacon Article (February 2009)

I am writing in reply to a letter in last week’s Monmouthshire Beacon (4-02-09) from E.James, which compared the appearance of the ‘class of 88’ and today’s pupils at Monmouth Comprehensive School.

I would like to point out that the ‘class of 1988’ was a formal official school photograph with obvious attention to smartness and uniforms. The recent photo this is compared to was taken during a busy school lunchtime at the naming of a new Monmouth Comprehensive School Boat Club (MCSBC) boat. Admittedly pupils are wearing coats, have school bags on their backs and are not formally lined up, and may not look their smartest. However the purpose of the occasion was to celebrate the great achievement of the Friends of MCSBC and club members, through hard work, support and fundraising to be able to purchase, and name, a new boat.

This ‘scruffy bunch’ has successfully represented their school at prestigious events, with dignity, pride and enthusiasm against many nationally well known and well funded private school boat clubs. We take pride in both our appearance and performance on these occasions. We are proud of our school and being able to represent it with high standards of behaviour and maturity at training sessions and events.

Please don’t judge these comprehensive school teenagers solely on appearance as many people seem to do, but appreciate instead how committed to our sport we are, and what we achieve.

MCSBC is the only comprehensive school based rowing club in the country and has a fantastic record of achievements in Heads/Regattas and National Events, with past and current members having achieved selection for Wales. MCSBC is about dedication, commitment and teamwork.

I am proud to be a member of the boat club and of a group of fun-loving, responsible and committed athletes and coaches to whom appearance is not always the top priority. I only hope that others don’t make similar assumptions on appearances and instead celebrate our achievements.

Hannah James Vice Captain of MCSBC

Newsletter (November 2008)

Racing for Wales At the end of the Summer, three senior athletes from the school Boat Club, trialled for the Wales team and won places. Han James and Jo Clarke won a bronze medal racing for Wales at the National Championships in the coxed four, whilst Louis Paterson won a superb gold medal. This was the first National Championships gold medal ever won by one of our athletes.

At the Home International Regatta on the following weekend, the athletes raced on Wales’s home course at Cardiff Bay with great style and Louis once again won a gold medal, this time racing in the “blue riband” eights event against the Home Nations of England, Ireland and Scotland. This was the first time in the 30 year history of the event that Wales had won the eights event

For our home event at Monmouth in September, the school entered 19 different boats from Year 10 to Year 13. Amongst many good performances for the early season, Georgia Hancock won her J16 class with ease.

Pangbourne Junior Sculls is a major early season event with 450 boats from many different schools (we were the only comprehensive school!). At this event several Year 10 crews went rather well, with Amelia Greenstreet, Katrina Stockton, Molly Brett, Kim Morgan and Sam Royston (cox, Year 11) coming 6th our of 16 entries. Georgia Hancock again won her event by 13 seconds in a time of 12:21, despite a collision on the course with a girl unwilling to let her by! She teamed up with Hana Jones to take a splendid 2nd place in the double sculls event.

Training is now well underway for the club’s largest ever event with 47 athletes due to race in 25 different crews at Wycliffe near Gloucester in early December. The picture shows the Year 10 athletes working on their fitness and technique on the “ergo” rowing machine in preparation for the event.

Full details of the Boat Club’s activities and the invaluable support provided by the Friends of Monmouth Comprehensive School Boat Club can be found at www.mcsbc.co.uk.

School Magazine (April 2008)

MCSBC “Half Marathon to Henley”

The athletes at Monmouth Comprehensive School Boat Club are always looking for more ways of fundraising for the Friends of Monmouth Comprehensive School Boat Club Charity. The boat club had set two world records on the rowing machine having risen over £12,000. So when a Half Marathon was suggested, the thought was that it would be good to try something new and take many rowers out of their comfort zone of the rowing machine and make them run!

On the 1st of March after a week of cold wet weather the morning dawned sunny and surprisingly warm for the time of year and 45 members of Monmouth Comprehensive School Boat Club embarked on a half marathon. The regattas at Henley are major targets for our athletes and represent a peak of athletic achievement, so the town provided a suitable focal point for what was a tough, but achievable challenge for all our members. The route followed the River Thames to Henley.

The day itself had many perks with, every member completing the distance be it walking or running in small groups. I myself had never run anything of that kind of distance before, and was very scared at the prospect of a Half Marathon, My group and I battled on and also managed to get lost around Marlow running around the town centre for what felt like forever! We even managed a sprint finish! The day was enjoyed by all, with everyone feeling as if they had achieved.

The early paper total is close to £4,530 being with a possible £700 alone from the Gift Aid raised for the Friends of Monmouth Comprehensive School Boat Club. I am extremely proud of their athletes for all their hard work and efforts, and would like to thank all the parents and coaches that helped make this day a very enjoyable one for all.

Kirsty Usher MCSBC Captain

Newsletter (March 2008)

Wycliffe Big Head In early February, the Year 11 crew of Susannah Price, Meghan-Rose Rigby, Lucy Clarke and Kathryn Ing won their event by a huge margin of 47 seconds in a time of 18 mins 28 secs. This was a great reward for a lot of training done over the Winter and they beat a crew that has frequently beaten them in previous years.

Half Marathon to Henley This sponsored event was the rowing big annual fund raising event. Held on the 1st March, 49 students completed the event along the banks of the River Thames finishing at the home of rowing in Henley. Many athletes ran the distance, with the event being supported by many parents (several of whom also ran). The final total is estimated at a fantastic £4,800 raised including Gift Aid for the Friends of Monmouth Comprehensive School Boat, who support rowing activities at the school.

Avon County Head In mid March, a Year 10 crew of Oliver Usher, Sam Dawson, Tom Scrivens and George Horn coxed superbly by Sam Perkins won their event and gained selection for the school in the Wales & West of England team at the Inter-Regional Regatta in April. Florence Newsome, Year 8, won her first event in the single scull.

“Why Do I Row?”

When I am asked this question I always struggle to come up with a simple answer. Friends and family see the chapped, blistered hands, the muscular shoulders, the constant training, and think themselves the sensible ones and us slightly insane.

Yes, there are times when I agree with them as the muscular shoulders start stretching tops, and the tan-lines across the biceps and thighs from those sunny race days as the lycra race kit is engraved on you. Also the slightly haggard look that comes from early morning training on 6am alarm calls and the windswept weather-beaten look that you can never quite get rid of.

So why do we get involved in this sport? Common answers are, “I was tall so someone told me I should row” or “My brothers and sisters have done it so thought I would have a go”. Most mention their competitive streak, or refer to inspiration from a particular sportsperson. Mine was mainly that I wanted to try a new sport and to experience a different type of water sport.

For me, the pull of sport has always been getting out into the open air, being part of a team, the intensity of competition and the drive to do your best. Not for the slog of training, but for those moments of magic, when it all comes together and produces a performance better than you had thought possible. I suppose that’s why so many people follow their football or rugby team with such passion. Those extraordinary moments in sport, when you feel part of something special and something bigger than yourself such as when Wales beats England in any sport but especially in rugby during this current ‘Six Nations’.

So why rowing? Why this incredibly demanding, time-consuming, exhausting, unglamorous and most frustrating of sports? To be proud of being part of probably the hardest sport under the sun (and rain, and wind…), but more importantly to have a laugh with your crew mates and to take the mick out of each other whilst you’re doing it. To end with a confusing pleasure and pain after a 20km training session in single sculls is ‘fun’; and the side by side regattas of 2km that you push yourself to the point of vomiting in racing ‘hilarious’. But truly an amazing sport that keeps you healthy and boosts your self-esteem to become not only confident in yourself but also in sport as well as increasing your pain threshold. Rowers are a weird bunch, but I love being one.

Hannah James, Girls Senior Squad

The “Anna Woodman”

As rowing at the school continues to grow, we have looked to expand our fleet of boats enabling as many students as possible to row at the highest standards. The most recent purchase is a high performance racing double scull. In its first race shortly before Christmas, the boat was sculled to a win by Jo Clarke and Meghan Rigby.

The boat has been named “Anna Woodman” after our recent captain. Anna made a major impact on the club during her time as a student, with two years as Club Captain. Amongst her major achievements was the organisation of our 24 hour world record, which still stands 3 years later. We were delighted to invite Anna to name the boat after herself in traditional style. Anna is now a qualified coach and accompanied us on our annual training camp to Belgium.

Newsletter (November 2007)

The school Boat Club had an excellent end to Summer 2007 with wins at Llandaff Regatta in Cardiff for three crews and several athletes gaining their first win!

Congratulations to Louis Paterson and Rhian Truman on becoming the latest members of the club to represent Wales. Louis is now preparing for Great Britain trials this winter.

The new season has started very well with a record racing membership of over 50 athletes. With wins in our first few events against strong opposition and plenty of very good performances, hopes are high for even more wins in the months ahead.

The Boat Club has recently applied for and received a grant from the Community Chest for £1,000. This invaluable funding has been matched by a further £1,000 from the Friends of Monmouth Comprehensive School Boat Club and has been used to purchase two very stable training boats. The “Friends” are our parental support group who have recently been registered as a charity. We are very grateful for their continued support.

Newsletter (Oct 2006)