Reading University rowers walk away from national competition with 15 medals

Reading University students finished second in the medals table from the UK’s largest University rowing competition.

More than 70 universities took part in the British Universities and Colleges Sport Regatta 2024, with Oxford Brookes pipping Reading to the post.

Across three days of racing earlier in Nottingham, Reading rowers won seven gold medals, six silver medals and two bronzes. As Reading only competes in the sculling events, this was achieved from participation in just 26 of the 48 events.

Director of Rowing at the University of Reading, Will Rand, said: “We are incredibly proud of all of our athletes. Their success is down to their hard work and dedication at a time of the year when the pressure is on with exams taking place and coursework due. Many of our athletes came away with medals, but even more performed fantastically well to rise to the occasion and push themselves on. Without everyone stepping up we could not have achieved this amazing result.

“We were really pleased with our success last year when we won 13 medals, so to win even more this year is a huge achievement. Rowing at the University of Reading is going from strength to strength.”

Among the talented students who competed for RUBC were:

- Matt Long, a first-year Business and Spanish student who secured three of RUBC’s gold medals. Matt is the UK’s top under-23 men’s sculler.

- Ellie Cooke is the UK’s top under-23 women’s sculler. A second-year Ancient History and Archaeology student, Ellie won a gold medal and two silver medals.

- Josh Lyon, a fourth-year Business Economics student and current men’s captain, won two golds and a silver medal.

- Second-year Psychology student Zara Povey won two gold medals and a silver medal.

- RUBC president, Dan Oakeley, won two silver medals while juggling his studies as a third-year Economics student.