By Mrs Reeves (Director of Rowing)

As the 2023/2024 rowing season draws to a close, we have so much to celebrate. Having had our most successful season to date, the boat club is thriving, not only with a fantastic set of results but also in number with the highest number of students ever rowing this summer term from Years 8 to Upper Sixth, with a huge new intake of 52 new Year 8 rowers. 

Our final week of rowing for the year has certainly been jam packed! Following competing at Henley Women’s Regatta and Henley Royal Regatta qualifying races, we had a wonderful day at Henley Royal with our senior rowers - soaking up the atmosphere from the river bank, and enjoying everything that an international regatta has to offer, it was certainly an inspirational day for all involved! 

For our final weekend of racing, all year groups headed to Huntingdon Regatta. Although perhaps not the idyllic summer’s day filled with sunshine and ice creams that we had imagined. The thunder storms, torrential rain and boggy field coupled with a tricky course to steer did not dampen anybody’s spirits. Team BGS were out in force, with category wins in every age group, meaning that we returned home with over 20 tankards! Well done to our WJ14 Quads Band 1 and 2, WJ15 Double, WJ16 Double and Senior Band 1 Eight. 

This week we enjoyed our annual House Rowing event. In tightly contested junior and senior competitions, it was Parks that came out the overall winners. Following our house competitions, it was also fantastic to welcome back our rowing alumnae who enjoyed racing with our senior rowers. 

A huge thank you to all those who have supported rowing at BGS this season - be that through early morning taxis to training, support on the riverbank during events or providing delicious treats at the BGS meet point at racing, it is thanks to everybody involved that the rowing community at BGS is such a great one to be part of.