Aberdeen Schools Rowing Association

Aberdeen Schools Rowing Association (ASRA) was founded in 1960 by Robert Newton and Bryan Steel. It thrives today on the banks of the River Dee, Aberdeen, in Scotland. The club is affiliated to Scottish Rowing.[1]

Aberdeen Schools Rowing Association
LocationSouth Esplanade West, Torry, Aberdeen, Scotland
Coordinates57°08′11″N 2°05′39″W / 57.136367°N 2.094108°W / 57.136367; -2.094108 (Aberdeen Schools Rowing Association)
Home waterRiver Dee, Aberdeenshire
Founded1960 (1960)
Key people
  • Matthew Hughson (Men's Captain)
  • Freya Hughson (Women's Captain)
Membershipc. 100 (2011)
AffiliationsScottish Rowing, Committee of the Dee, KRSG (Belgium)
Websitewww.asra-rowing.org.uk
Events
  • Aberdeen Inter-Schools Regatta (ASRA)
  • Aberdeen 4s & Small Boats Head of the River
  • Aberdeen 8s Head of the River
  • Aberdeen Sprint Regatta
  • North-East Regatta

History

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ASRA has been very successful in National competitions since 1960 and has won medals at 3 major competitions in Britain.

In 2007 ASRA was awarded a grant from the Big Lottery Fund which allowed ASRA to employ their first paid coach, purchase boats for beginners, ergometers for schools and a minibus and towing vehicle. ASRA is expanding and hoping to build an extension to the current boathouse which was constructed in 2001. This is due to the huge increase in members due to the success of the "Wet Start" and "Dry Start" schemes.

ASRA is run by 3 trustees: Bryan Steel, Alan Lawrie and Ian Duncan. They oversee the running of the club and take up roles as Rowing Co-ordinator, Treasurer and Senior Coach respectively. ASRA FP Colin Wallace was the first full-time paid coach and was employed by ASRA from 2007 to 2012. When Colin moved off to Edinburgh to train as a PE teacher, he was replaced by Sportscotland appointee, Jonny Muir, whose daunting remit it is, firstly to encourage more of ASRA's top rowers to follow the GB pathway, secondly to increase participation at all age levels in the club and thirdly to try to cut back the high levels of drop-out in the first years of rowing.

ASRA athletes Miles Beeson and Robert Powell were selected to compete for Great Britain in the 2- event at the 2018 World Rowing Junior Championships in Račice, Czech Republic and ranked 7th overall by winning the B Final.[2] In 2019, the feat was repeated in the Women's 2- at the 2019 World Rowing Junior Championships in Tokyo Bay, Japan by ASRA athletes Abagail Topp and Megan Hewison.[3]

Honours

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British champions

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Year Winning crew/s
1994 Men J18 4+
1997 Women J18 8+, Women J16 4+
1999 Men J18 4+, Women J18 2-, Women J18 4+
2001 Men J18 4-[4]
2002 Men J18 4+[5]
2003 Men J18 4-, Men J18 4+[6]
2006 Women J18 2-[7]
2007 Women J18 4+[8]
2008 Women J16 4+ [9]
2009 Women J18 4+ [10]
2010 Open J16 2- [11]
2011 Open J16 1x, Open J16 2-, Women J18 4- [12]
2012 Open J16 2-, Women J18 4-, Women J18 4+ [13]
2013 Victor Ludorum, Open J18 4-, Women J18 4-[14]
2014 Open J16 2-, Open J16 4+ [15]
2016 Open J18 8+, Open J16 4+ [16]
2017 Women J16 2- [17]
2019 Open J18 4-, Open J18 8+, Open J16 4+ [18]
National Schools Gold Medals Home International Regatta Gold Medals
4 6

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Club finder". Scottish Rowing.
  2. ^ "Two golds for Great Britain at World Rowing Junior Championships". www.britishrowing.org. 12 August 2018. Retrieved 14 August 2018.
  3. ^ "GB teams announced for World Rowing Junior Championships and Coupe de la Jeunesse". British Rowing. 30 July 2019. Retrieved 11 September 2019.
  4. ^ "The Daily results service". The Times. London. 23 July 2001. pp. 10[S].
  5. ^ "The results service". The Times. London. 22 July 2002. p. 26.
  6. ^ "Today's fixtures". The Times. London. 21 July 2003. p. 32.
  7. ^ "Rowing". The Times. London. 17 July 2006. p. 57.
  8. ^ "2007 archive of results". britchamps.org. Archived from the original on 6 December 2016.
  9. ^ "2008 archive of results". britchamps.org. Archived from the original on 6 December 2016.
  10. ^ "Full archive of results". britchamps.org. Archived from the original on 13 March 2017.
  11. ^ "British Rowing Championships 2010". British Rowing.
  12. ^ "Full archive of results". britchamps.org. Archived from the original on 13 March 2017.
  13. ^ "British Rowing Champions 2012 declared". British Rowing. 16 July 2012.
  14. ^ "BRITISH ROWING JUNIOR CHAMPIONSHIPS 2013". britchamps.org. Archived from the original on 13 March 2017.
  15. ^ "Juniors defy weather to flourish at Brit Champs". British Rowing. 21 July 2014.
  16. ^ "2016 British Rowing Junior Championships results" (PDF). British Rowing.
  17. ^ "2017 British Rowing Junior Championships results" (PDF). British Rowing.
  18. ^ "Thrills and spills at the 2019 British Rowing Junior Championships". British Rowing. 21 July 2019.