TWELVE Monmouth rowers will launch out for Wales on Cardiff Bay this Saturday to take on England, Scotland and Ireland in the Home Countries International Regatta.

Manson Lane dairy farmer Ollie Partridge, a former Henley Royal Regatta winner, races in a men’s squad which includes Oxford Boat Race Blue Josh Bugajski, a triple winner last year in Glasgow, including in the men’s singles.

Fellow Monmouth RC man Stephen Griffiths also returns from Zagreb in Croatia, where last week he raced to B final victory in the men’s lightweight singles in the European University Games, for seventh overall, while Old Monmothian Dai George is another inclusion. 

Fresh from steering the GB U23 eight in the final of world rowing’s oldest regatta prize, the 177-year-old Grand Challenge Cup at Henley, former Monmouth Comprehensive School cox Sam Royston has been named to take the tiller in the Welsh women’s team, which includes triple HCI champion Helen Roberts.

And the 64-strong Wales team includes eight Wye juniors – four from Monmouth School and four from sister school Haberdashers’ Monmouth School for Girls.

The boys school quartet of Rory Freeman, Harris Webb, Harry Bridges and Archie Hilder join rowers from Sir William Borlase School, Shiplake College, Royal Shrewsbury School, Marlow, King’s Chester, Llandaff and Cardiff City in the junior men’s team.

They all raced for Monmouth School at Henley three weeks ago after making the 32-boat Princess Elizabeth Cup school 8s event, where they went close against St George’s, Weybridge, in the opening round, trailing by just 1/4 lengths at half-way, before losing out by just over one length.

Haberdashers’ rowers Pippa England, Hannah Green, Hannah Lincoln and Emily Strawbridge also go in the junior girls’ team, alongside rowers from Lady Eleanor Holles, Pangbourne, Marlow, King’s School Chester, Royal Shrewsbury and Llandaff.

They also raced on the Thames last month at Henley Women’s Regatta, making the head-to-head stages of the junior fours before losing narrowly to Oxford outfit St Edwards.

Racing takes place from 10.30am to 5.30pm in eights, quads, fours, doubles, pairs and singles, with rowers racing 1,500m from the sea lock to a finish in front of the Senedd and Pierhead buildings, one of the most dramatic backdrops in British rowing. 

Four years ago, Wales raced to a record eight event wins, including in the Blue Riband men’s eights, and will be hoping to better that this time, after a record seven away wins last year in Scotland, where both the men’s and women’s senior teams finished close seconds in their events.

For more information on the Home International Regatta, visit www.hir2016.wales