International Rowing Success

Experience

elite rowing at Shiplake College

Shiplake College, nestled in the picturesque Oxfordshire countryside, has an enviable riverside location less than three miles upstream from the famous Henley Royal Regatta stretch. It is no wonder, then, that it has built a formidable reputation in rowing and a distinguished programme for developing girls and boys into elite athletes.

In addition to high participation rates from Year 9, when rowing is introduced (although Year 8’s Ergo Club is popular) the extensive programme for the elite senior rowers is equally impressive. Boathouse facilities provide state-of-the-art facilities to match the top-level coaching programme - the Director of Rowing and a team of dedicated coaches consistently achieve success throughout the regatta season, with the championship boys’ and girls’ crews regularly medalling at Schools’ Head and National Schools’ Regatta, placing Shiplake amongst the top co- educational schools for rowing. At Henley Royal Regatta, Shiplake’s female crew won the women’s quadruple sculls in 2021, in 2023 the College was the first to have both a boys’ crew and a girls’ crew in the semi-finals and in 2024 Shiplake was the only school to have a crew qualify for each of the four junior events - they all won their first race, one crew reached the semi-finals and the boys’ eight reached the final. Eight pupils represented GB or England in 2024 and an increasing number of leavers are heading to US universities, with six gaining rowing scholarships or places at Ivy League institutions for 2024.

The rowing programme not only develops physical strength and technique but also camaraderie, discipline, personal growth and mental resilience.

KAT GREEN Director of External Relations www.shiplake.org.uk/experiencerowing