THE school’s rowers took three titles on home waters in the last big race of the year – the 204-boat Monmouth Christmas Head.

Racing against the clock downstream into a stiff headwind over 2,200m, the eight of Sam, Digby, Archie, Max, Harris, Harry, Rory, Rory and cox Huw headed the Division One field to take the Intermediate 3 class title in six minutes 58 seconds, 13 and 15 seconds up respectively on nearest rivals Nottingham and Swansea universities.

Another school eight finished in 7.27 to place second in the IM1 class to Swansea, while a third eight crossed in 8.00.
Also wearing school colours, GB world junior finalist and last year’s Monmouth School Head Boy Will England teamed up with fellow Old Monmothian Dan Waters to take the IM1 pairs crown in 7.48, quicker than several eights, while the school club’s two Ollies took the U15 doubles title in 8.29 by 18 seconds from Stoke-based Trentham.

Conditions eased with the wind dropping in Division 2, with the school again impressing with the second fastest time in the elite eights category, and the third quickest of the whole day, finishing 13 seconds behind head pennant winners Nottingham who crossed in 6.33.

They were split by the quadruple scull of OM Alex Butler, who joined Monmouth Rc’s Mark Stewart-Woods and Henley Royal Regatta winner Oli Partridge, plus Ben Rodford, brother of double Olympic finalist Beth, to take their elite sculls class in 6.41.

Another school eight raced home in 7.07, just two seconds down on Cardiff University, with the U15 quad scull getting the better of the novice eight by three seconds in 7.51, and the second quad crossing in 8.13.

Will England and Dan Waters also teamed up with last year’s captain of boats Morgan Gray and school coach Robin Fletcher in Old Monmothian colours to set the second fastest fours time of 7.30.