Miss Gowing (Senior Rowing Coach)

What better way to celebrate Valentine’s Day than an all-out sprint on the rowers’ most-loved piece of equipment? That's right, Friday 14th February saw the return of the House Ergo Competition!

Six rowing machines were wired-up and decorated in house colours ready for the arrival of the girls. The aim was to row as far as possible in 20-minutes in a relay format, with no individual allowed to stay on the machine longer than a minute.

There were three trophies up for grabs: distance, number of participants and spirit. We were really impressed with the standard of competition across all three of these categories.

The noise in the assembly hall was a cacophony of cheering, chanting, machines whirring and music blaring. There were banners, flags, costumes and mascots and a great mix of participants from seasoned rowers, to complete novices and members of staff from a variety of departments, all willing to get involved to support their houses.

Results

• Overall winners – 1st Parks, joint 2nd Nightingale and Austen, 4th Hepburn.
• The Girls Cup – The greatest overall distance achieved – Parks 5051m.
• Inclusivity Cup - Participation – The greatest number of participants (these can be both teachers and girls) – Franklin.
• The Spirit of BGS - awarded to the house who enters into the spirit of the event. House coloured outfits are encouraged – Nightingale.