TWO successful rowers who compete at a national level have welcomed their Newcastle school’s move to incorporate the popular sport firmly into its co-curriculum. 

Isabel Cain, from Hexham, and Isabella Haddrick, from Low Fell, are both on rowing development pathways and compete with their respective clubs in regattas and time trials across the UK. 

The pair are helping to inspire a new generation of rowers at Dame Allan’s Schools, in Fenham, where rowing is now offered to all pupils and a development squad trains twice weekly at Tyne United Rowing Club. Crews are supported by teacher Mrs Morris, a Level 2 rowing coach and the Secretary at Cambois Rowing Club, in Ashington. 

The independent school, which runs Learn to Row courses in the autumn and winter terms and recently introduced rowing as a games option on the curriculum, plans to host its own regatta on the Tyne in June and wants to recruit a dedicated rowing coach next year. 

Isabel, a Year 10 pupil at Dame Allan’s Girls’ School who has rowed at Hexham Rowing Club since she was 12 years old, will compete in a quad at the National Schools’ Regatta at Lake Dorney on May Bank Holiday weekend. (MAY 26-28) It is the largest regatta for junior rowers in Great Britain. 

In July, she intends to compete at the British Rowing Junior Championships, where last summer her quad achieved gold medal success, and hopes to be entered into the Under 16 GB trials at the end of the year. 

“What I love about rowing is the teamwork – it’s always fun training and competing with a fantastic group of likeminded rowers,” said Isabel, who is on the British Rowing Women’s Development Pathway. “I’m so glad that Dame Allan’s has introduced rowing seriously so others can have the opportunity to experience just how fantastic it is out on the water.”

Dame Allan’s runs early indoor rowing machine sessions for pupils and staff each week, led by Teacher of PE and Games Mr Smith. Isabel was one of several pupils to represent the Schools at the National Junior Indoor Rowing Championships in Leeds in March. Sixth Form students Oscar Mitchell and Jamie Fisher won gold and silver respectively in the Y13 Boys 2000m race.  

Year 11 pupil Isabella Haddrick has rowed for Chester-Le-Street Amateur Rowing Club since the age of 11. She, like Isabel, has represented the Northern Region at the Junior Inter-Regional Regatta where she won bronze at Junior 15 level. 

Isabella, who is currently recovering from an injury, had been accepted onto the British Rowing Start Programme – a development programme for the country’s most promising rowers.  Graduates of Start include double Olympic champion Helen Glover MBE, one of the most decorated athletes in the GB rowing team, and World and Olympic champion Alex Gregory MBE. 

She said: “Sadly I’ve not been able to attend recent GB camps, but I’m working towards competing in the Home International Rowing Regatta, National Schools Regatta, British Rowing Junior Championships, and Henley Royal Regatta once I have finished rehab.” 

Isabella, who hopes to trail for the GB U23 team in the future, is encouraging others to take up rowing at school. “It’s a very inclusive sport with opportunities to develop skills that are easily transferable to other sports and daily life,” she said. 

“Rowing creates so many opportunities – you meet an abundance of fantastic people and get the chance to travel – and I think it’s great that school is promoting the sport so positively.”

In late June, Dame Allan’s Schools hope to hold their first regatta on the Tyne at Newburn, with crews from each Senior School house competing across two age groups.  

Mr Wildsmith, the Schools’ Director of Co-Curriculum, said: “We already have some very talented rowers in the Schools, and by offering the sport to all pupils we hope that in time Dame Allan’s will have some strong crews competing at regional and national regattas. 

“We have forged strong links with Tyne United Rowing Club and want pupils to experience rowing on one of the best tidal rivers in the country, while receiving professional coaching and, most importantly, having fun.”