Twenty-four young Monmouth rowers will be representing Wales at the 2019 Home International Regatta in Scotland next weekend.

Ten students at Monmouth School for Boys, eight at Monmouth Comprehensive School Boat Club and six at Monmouth School for Girls make up around half the team heading to Strathclyde Country Park on Saturday 27th July.

Ryan Baldwin, Ben Emes, Joe Harrison, Hamish Lawson, Cameron Michie, Robbie Prosser-Wrench and Antony Wright had already been selected to represent the Wales junior men’s team after their outstanding performances this year in winning at the Schools’ Head of the River and the National Schools’ Regatta.

And three of the school’s J16 boys - Rui De Sousa Stayton, Angus Whitehead and Alex Kulkarni - have been chosen after shining in trials.

The 10 boys will row in three crews - an VIII, coxed IV and a coxless IV - for Wales and coached by Master in Charge of Rowing at Monmouth School for Boys, Mr John Griffiths.

Monmouth Comprehensive School’s Tom Smith, Rowan Kohler-Hoon and Finlay Waters will be representing Wales in the Junior Men category, while Mia Boycott, Talia Gould, Josephine Harrison, Katie Kearsey and Martha Waterstone will be taking part in the Junior Women.

Monmouth School for Girls will be represented by Sonia Ambrose, who will be racing in an VIII, and the J16 girls of Sasha Baldwin, Darcy Haines, Abigail Jones, Harriet Leaf and Anna Pritchard will compete in a IV and an VIII.

Coached by Robin Fletcher, the J16 girls have worked hard to balance their GCSE exams with training and will be looking to gain valuable experience from the regatta. 

Abigail Jones said: "We had trials in Bristol and are delighted to be representing the Wales junior women’s team against crews from England, Ireland and Scotland."

Anna Pritchard added: "Our event is going to be packed with 18 year olds and most of us are still only 16 so we will be facing strong competition. But we are all looking forward to the wonderful experience."