Great Britain will travel en masse to the U19 World Rowing Championships with a team of 42 athletes having been selected. The team will fly to Plovdiv, Bulgaria, the site of this year’s World Rowing Cup II, where they will take on the very best from around the world.
Five members of the team return from last year’s U19 World Rowing Championships in Trakai, Lithuania and will provide a solid backbone for this year’s crews. 12 months ago, Great Britain topped the medal table, winning four gold, two silver, and one bronze medal.
Norwich School Rowing Club’s Nick Conway is the only returner on the men’s side of the team. He returns to the same boat he won gold in last year, the Men’s Four. In Plovdiv, Conway will race alongside Radley College Boat Club’s Csombor Hanczar, winner of Championship Eights in record time at the National Schools’ Regatta. They’ll be joined by Edward Ludgate and Guy Parson from the St Paul’s School Boat Club crew that won the Princess Elizabeth Challenge Cup.
The Women’s Four also brings a wealth of experience. 2025 world silver medallist from this boat, Ottilie Campbell-Reide, is back looking to go one better with a new crew. She’s joined by Shiplake College Boat Club teammate Isis Thurnham as well as Anna Trapmore and Henriette Smit of Headington School Oxford Boat Club, fresh from their win in the Prince Phillip Challenge Trophy, a third straight title for the school.
Canford School Boat Club’s Freya Coupe and Elayna Yap of Headington are back in the Women’s Eight for the second year in a row. In Trakai, Great Britain won gold, just under two seconds ahead of the United States of America. This year, Shiplake College, winners of the Championship Girls Eights at NSR, will make up the bulk of the crew. Alice Dargue, Aaliyah Hall, Annunciata Ings, and cox Charlie Watkins will all travel to Plovdiv. They’ll be joined by Headington’s Hannah Palin, Mia Tans from St Paul’s Girls’ School Boat Club, and Florence Grose who is called up to the squad after winning two gold medals in the Junior Women’s Four at the Coupe de la Jeunesse.
After an undefeated season, Marlow Rowing Club will provide half of the Junior Women’s Quadruple Scull. Lauren Kennedy is back from last year’s bronze medal-winning boat, and clubmate Alice Moss joins her. The two of them ended their domestic season lifting the Diamond Jubilee Challenge Cup from the grandstands of Stewards Enclosure, having won ‘The Quadruple’ at HOCR, Schools’ Head, NSR, and HRR.
Joining the Marlow duo are two of their toughest opponents all season long. Kate Cohalan and Holly Weddell formed half of the Tideway Scullers School quartet that reached the final where they met Marlow Rowing Club. The two were silver medallists in this boat class at NSR back in May.
Half of the Men’s Eight will come from PE winners and Head of the Charles winners, St Paul’s School. Nathaniel Barnes will pull the strings, and he’ll have a familiar stern pair in the shape of Paul Turner and Jacopo Tans. Jonathan Miles will lead the bows from the four seat. For the second year in a row, Hampton School Boat Club will have two athletes in the Men’s Eight. In 2026 it will be Jack Holden and Aiden Hughes. Laszlo Earle of St Edward’s School Boat Club, George Petrow of Westminster School Boat Club, and Radley College’s Monty Sutherland make up the rest of the crew.
For Louis Sheasby in the Men’s Quad, this isn’t the first time he’s represented Great Britain. In 2024, he won the annual GB v France match in the Men’s Double Sculls. Fast forward two years, Sheasby’s won the Fawley Challenge Cup with Leander Club, and made the jump to the U19 international stage. Sir William Borlase’s Grammar School Boat Club will make up half of the crew, represented by Finley Corby and Gabriel Lorenzi, while The Windsor Boys’ School Boat Club’s Isaac Thornton will race alongside them, after winning Championship Quads at NSR.
Sheasby’s Leander teammate, Alfie Webb, will sit in the bow seat of the Men’s Double Scull. The Henley winner will be joined by Durham Amateur Rowing Club’s Quinn Mosley, who won the J16 and J18 Single Sculls at last year’s British Rowing Club Championships and won the GB v France match last year in his Single Scull.
Radley College’s Jonathan Cleugh has proven he’s a Jack of all trades. The NSR winner raced in last year’s Coupe de la Jeunesse Quad and has now been selected in the Men’s Pair alongside Henley winner Wilder Daffey of St Paul’s.
NSR silver medallist Bella Okunola of St Edward’s School has been selected in the Women’s Pair. She’ll join forces with Issy Hughes of Henley Rowing Club, fresh from the Eight that raced HRR.
For the second year in a row, Great Britain will race the Men’s Single Sculls. Hinksey Sculling School’s Lewie Harris has been selected after anchoring his club’s Quadruple Scull all season. He steps on, having been selected as the Men’s Reserve Single Scull at last year’s Coupe de la Jeunesse.
“This is an exceptionally talented group of athletes who, since completing our final testing at Crew Formation, have been united by a single goal: to make their boats go as fast as possible,” said GBRT U19s Team Manager John Layng.
“With five returning Championship rowers and seven stepping up from last year’s Coupe team, the squad has good international experience to support its world-stage campaign in Bulgaria. It will be exciting to see these 22 young men and 19 young women race hard for their best possible placings in their respective finals.
“We are grateful to all the clubs, schools, and coaches who have supported these athletes throughout the year. Their dedication has helped the team reach this point, and their continued support has ensured our athletes are ready to compete.”
The Great Britain Team to race the U19 World Rowing Championships in Plovdiv, Poland 6-9 August 2026
Men’s Eight
Laszlo Earle (St Edward’s School Oxford Boat Club)
Jack Holden (Hampton School Boat Club)
Aiden Hughes (Hampton School Boat Club)
Jonathan Miles (St Paul’s Schoo Boat Club)
George Petrow (Westminster School Boat Club)
Monty Sutherland (Radley College Boat Club)
Jacopo Tans (St Paul’s School Boat Club)
Paul Turner (St Paul’s School Boat Club)
Nathaniel Barnes (cox) (St Paul’s School Boat Club)
Coach: Dave Currie (Shiplake College Boat Club)
Women’s Eight
Alice Dargue (Shiplake College Boat Club)
Hannah Palin (Headington School Oxford Boat Club)
Freya Coupe (Canford School Boat Club)
Aaliyah Hall (Shiplake College Boat Club)
Annunciata Ings (Shiplake College Boat Club)
Mia Tans (St Paul’s Girls’ School Boat Club)
Florence Grose (Putney High School Boat Club)
Elayna Yap (Headington School Oxford Boat Club Boat Club)
Charlie Watkins, Cox (Shiplake College Boat Club)
Coach: Dan Safdari (Shiplake College Boat Club)
Men’s Quadruple Sculls
Finley Corby (Sir William Borlase’s Grammar School Boat Club)
Gabriel Lorenzi (Sir William Borlase’s Grammar School Boat Club)
Louis Sheasby (Leander Club)
Isaac Thornton (The Windsor Boys’ School Boat Club)
Coach: Pete Chambers (Marlow Rowing Club)
Women’s Quadruple Sculls
Kate Cohalan (Tideway Scullers School)
Lauren Kennedy (Marlow Rowing Club)
Alice Moss (Marlow Rowing Club)
Holly Weddell (Tideway Scullers School)
Coach: Chris Boddy (Sir William Perkins’ School Boat Club)
Men’s Four
Csombor Hanzcar (Radley College Boat Club)
Edward Ludgate (St Paul’s School Boat Club)
Guy Parson (St Paul’s School Boat Club)
Nick Conway (Norwich School Boat Club)
Coach: Matt Harris (Westminster School Boat Club)
Women’s Four
Anna Trapmore (Headington School Oxford Boat Club)
Henriette Smit (Headington School Oxford Boat Club)
Isis Thunham (Shiplake College Boat Club)
Ottilie Campbell-Reide (Shiplake College Boat Club)
Coach: Ryan Demaine (Headington School Oxford Boat Club)
Men’s Pair
Jonathan Cleugh (Radley College Boat Club)
Wilder Daffey (St Paul’s School Boat Club)
Coach: James Cracknell (Kingston Grammar School Boat Club)
Women’s Pair
Issy Hughes (Henley Rowing Club)
Isabella Okunola (St Edward’s School Oxford Boat Club)
Coach: Leon Redman (Henley Rowing Club)
Men’s Double Sculls
Quinn Mosley (Durham Amateur Rowing Club)
Alfie Webb (Leander Club)
Coach: George Nottidge (Leander Club)
Men’s Single Scull
Lewie Harris (Hinksey Sculling School)
Coach: Rufus Tilt (Tideway Scullers School)
Team Support
John Layng – Team Manager
Vicky Spencer – Lead Coach
Dan Cooper – Equipment Manager
Andy Ciecierski – Doctor
Rachel Burr – Physiotherapist
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