Plymouth schools win games gold

Young Plymouth rowers became regional champions as they won the South West Rotary Youth Games Indoor Rowing Finals at Marjons University on Wednesday 18 April, but there was also plenty of medal success for Cornish and South Hams participants.

The combined team of Plymouth High School for Girls and Devonport High School for Boys took the overall title after a day of high intensity, high energy rowing from schools across Devon and Cornwall and participants aged 11-18.

Working in partnership with British Rowing, this was the first year Indoor Rowing has been part of the region’s largest community youth sports event and with a thriving rowing scene, the event is set to grow for years to come.

On a day of thriving competition, there were individual gold medals for Freddie Rolls (Fowey River Academy – year 7 boys), Matilda Pennington (Wadebridge – year 7 girls), Finn Washburn (Devonport High School for Boys – year 8 boys), Evie DuCross (Truro School – year 8 girls), Charlie Groves (Devonport High School for Boys – year 9 boys), Ellie Dash (Mounts Bay Academy – year 9 girls), Ben Grubb (Wadebridge - year 10 boys), Jenna Kempster-Taylor (Plymouth High School for Girls), Brandon Postelwaite (Wadebridge – year 11 boys), Ellie Langham (Kingsbridge - year 11 girls), Theo Fleming (Falmouth – year 12 and 13 boys) and Maddie Weston (Budehaven – year 12 and 13 girls)

See full results: https://www.southwestyouthgames.org.uk/uploads/south-west-rotary-youth-g...

The Indoor Rowing is part of the biggest ever South West Rotary Youth Games calendar which concludes with the Summers Finals in Dawlish on 7 July.  Around 10,000 young people aged 8-18, both able-bodied and disabled take part in the journey towards the Games each year.

Chris Broadbent, Chief Executive of the South West Youth Games Trust said: “Congratulations to all the participants for a superb day of competition in Plymouth. There was an incredible amount of effort put in from every school.

“This is an event we are really looking to build upon with British Rowing. There is a thriving regatta and gig racing scene across Devon and Cornwall and indoor rowing provides the perfect stepping stone for young people to take the plunge on the water.

“Our mission is that more young people are inspired to make the move into clubs and regular community sport and also that others are encouraged to increase their activity levels and reap the benefits of a healthy, active lifestyle.”