WELCOME NEWSLETTER issue 1.0 As one season ends and another starts it is time to February 2012 reflect and to look forward to 2012. Undoubtedly 2011 was a good season for all squads and a special experience for the Junior rowers to compete at a home World Championship. It was interesting to see it from a volunteer point of view and to have the opportunity to see Junior Supporters in action. Rowers consistently tell us how much they value the visible presence of supporters and their contribution to the ‘wall of sound’. Our chant may not be heard by them but it does help to release the emotions and tension of their ‘nearest and dearest’. At the Senior World Championships we experimented with a chant of ‘GB’ (men only) followed by ‘GBR’ (women Supporters celebrate the results at only plus clapping in rhythm) in an attempt to The World Championships, differentiate ourselves from the New Zealand Bled 2011 chant of ‘kiwi’. It worked well and hopefully will be adopted by supporters of all squads. Senior Sadly after much discussion we won’t be able to squad support goes from strength to strength produce supporter specific GB kit due to very and I’d like to take this opportunity to thank stringent design and approval requirements. supporters for their dedication to supporting ALL Please be aware of this when deciding what to members of the squad. It was very noticeable wear in the FISA Friends and Family grandstand that we were the only nation with a significant in particular. presence at the start line and in the grandstand for all races featuring a GB boat including our The committee receives excellent help and adaptive rowers. One of our aims is to support advice from the GB Rowing Team Office staff and all rowers in all squads. this newsletter would not be complete without thanking all the staff and Maggie Netto and Sam Over the coming year we would like to focus on Dawson in particular. Finally, a big thank you to building our support for supporters of the U23 all the committee members who not only give up and Junior squads. If you would like to help please their time willingly but also pay their own travel do contact us. Please also spread the word about costs for committee meetings. Without each supporter’s kit which is available to supporters and every one of them, and of you, GB Rowing of all squads who are GBRTS members. It really Team would not be the success that it is today helps to give us a GB presence and to ensure and the best supported team at a world level. that no supporter is lonely and isolated. For the Thank you. It just remains for me to wish all our senior and adaptive rowers a home Olympics rowers the best ever 2012 season and to hope will, I think, bring its own challenges for them that you enjoy watching and supporting all of and their close friends and family. Not the least our rowers as much as I do – it is a real privilege of which are likely to be, the unprecedented level to support such amazing young people. of media interest, and, ensuring that the rowers can remain in their zone within a competition Liz Rowbotham ‘bubble’. GBRTS Co-ordinator A Message from David Tanner GB Rowing Team Performance Director NEWS ARE GB SUPPORTERS BEING SEEN? First of all, thank you to Liz and her team for the hard work and good enterprise in making it Remember the days when you envied those another great year to be a GBRT Supporter. Green and Yellow, or Orange clad supporters. The rowers, coaches and team support had an Those days are gone. Without doubt the best exceptional season in 2011, giving you plenty dressed and loudest supporters were the British to cheer about. We have really appreciated at this summer’s major the chants, flags, kit and encouragement for us events - and we hope all to ‘Go GB’ at the major Championships and that in some way this was regattas. reflected in the results of And what a thrilling prospect for 2012. From the our rowers. That’s the GB v Match in Gravelines, the Coupe in theory anyway. Banyoles, the Junior Worlds in Plovdiv and the U23 Worlds in Trakai to the Home Olympic and A full range of kit is now Paralympic Games at Eton/Dorney. I appreciate available through Rock that Olympic tickets have been hard to come by the Boat, including polos – and very expensive – but by various means GB and t-shirts, skinny tops will fill a fifth of the Friends and Family Grandstand for the ladies, fleeces, with 230 tickets purchased by supporters. I am waterproofs and rucksacks. All reasonably sure the Olympic and Paralympic rowing regattas priced and available directly from Di at Rock the will be fantastic to watch and that our crews will Boat once you have joined the Supporters Club. be exceptional. We’re counting on hearing you in the final sprint! And for the supporters of the Supporters also now have individual name U23 and Junior rowers, what better prospect badges to identify who than aiming to be in Rio de Janerio in 2016? We everyone is, together will all be watching as our young rowers show with which rower they what they can do at their event in 2012. We’re are supporting. Some always looking forward in the GB Rowing Team! just support the whole team – good for them! David Tanner GB Rowing Team You can also get the Performance Director supporters bears, mugs and pin badges from New Wave at most events.

As always, we are looking for new ideas, so if there is something you’d like us to include, let one of the committee know and we’ll see what we can do.

Thanks for you support, keep buying and cheering on our team!! GBRTS Discussion Forum 2011 Season - U23 report This year saw the launch of the GBRTS discussion forum, which provides a focus for communication The weather in July in was soggy and a wealth of information for Family and to say the least, reminiscent of Autumn in the Friends supporting rowers in GB Rowing Teams. UK, cold, with relentless rain and tricky cross This is the place for supporters to share their winds. Throughout the week the number of ideas, suggestions, experiences and knowledge GB Supporters steadily increased, however we with other supporters of the GB Rowing Team. were still drowned out by the US and Australian Highlights from the discussion group this year supporters who continue to amaze with the vast have included: number of supporters that travel the World to • Highs and (mostly) lows of Olympic ticket support their rowers. application • Travel accommodation plans for Hamburg, The moving stadium was an absolute must (a and Munich low back HGV lorry with seats installed), and for • Picnic plans, post race celebrations, and a a tiny cost of 2 Euros each, supporters were able general review of the World Championships to watch the full 2K from start to finish. at Bled • Steve Williams on top of the world (Everest) There were great transport links from the • Where to buy a portable flagpole for your capital to Bosbaan, by bus, train, bike and some Union flag. supporters even walked. There were plenty of affordable hotels and lots to do in the evening The group also provides a central point for if you wished, especially with your new friends sharing photos, spectator guides for each of the made from the GB Supporters. racing venues, and details of GBRTS clothing. By joining the group, you will ensure you have Fantastic GB talent was greatly enjoyed with the most up to date information, can keep in George Nash and Constantine Louloudis easily contact with other Friends and Family and make winning the gold in the pair with a new World the most of the opportunities to support Great best time, followed by Peter Chambers and . Kieren Emery in the lightweight pair. Both crews have now been given the chance to train and To subscribe to the group, please email row with the seniors in preparation for London [email protected] If you 2012, with Chambers and Emery also winning have any difficulties with the joining process, gold in the World Championships. Our fabulous please email Robin Walker at BLW1x, Katherine Copeland, won gold in a result [email protected] that was fantastic to watch and support as she achieved a new World best time. This group is only open to supporters of the GB Rowing Team, so if you are not a member then The men’s eight just missed out in the semis and join by going to; drew the dreaded lane 4 for the final. The crew http://www.britishrowing.org/gb-rowing-team/ managed to pip Germany with screams of “No backing-team/gb-rowing-team-supporters. No” from the Germans, as they streaked passed Your contact details will be protected, and to win another bronze for the second year in a moderators will ensure appropriate use is row. maintained. Congratulations also to: BW2x 4th Robin Walker BM4+ 5th GBRTS BW8+ 5th BLM4- 1st B Final BLM 4x 1st B final Please be advised that due to London BM1x 2nd B final 2012, the U23 World Championships BLM 2x 2nd B final will be taking place on 11 to 15 July 2012 in Trakai, Lithuania By Ian Tarrant GBRTS U23 Representative 2011 Season - Junior report The international season kicked off with the Munich Junior International where many of the contenders get their first chance to perform against international competition. This year many parents with union flags travelled out to support the team and enjoy the sights around Munich. They made good use of the venue guidelines on the Supporters section of the GB Rowing Team website and managed to book into the same hotel increasing the camaraderie on the riverbank.

Next stop was the J16 GB vs France which took place in the London Docklands early in July. This is the first opportunity for young athletes to earn their GB vest and experience international competition. This is always a fiercely competitive match and this year was no exception. In the girls event the French won with four wins to two reversing the 2010 result where GB won six nil. In the boys event the GB boys won their match with a comprehensive 10 second win by the boys eights which brought the overall trophy back to Britain.

The competition at the Coupe de la Jeunesse in , is traditionally very competitive The undoubted highlights were the silver and as expected some close racing from rowers medals won by the boys eight and the girls’ four. who have just missed out on an opportunity to Disappointment for both quads, who narrowly race at the World Rowing Junior Championships. missed out on A final places but then dominated This year’s event demonstrated continued their B finals both finishing seventh. The event improvements in both boys and girls was extremely well supported by parents and with both quads winning gold medals together friends in the friends and family grandstand with with the boys eight. In total the GB crews won many union flags on display. Several supporters seven gold, four silver and two bronze medals. were spotted sporting new Supporters kit. Making GB winners of the boys event and second in the girls event. Overall GB were second only This year we have made good progress two points behind . promoting the benefits of the Supporters group to junior friends and family with support from The first week in August saw the World Rowing GB Rowing Team. Next year we hope to see even Junior Championships at as the more supporters lining the banks of the regattas test event for the London 2012 Olympics. The flying the union flags and wearing Supporters events were contested by over 1,000 rowers and kit. More work is still to be done to ensure that officials from 46 nations supported by a team of all parents of potential team members for the some 500 volunteers. With only three members three teams above are fully aware of the group of the 34 athlete squad returning from the 2010 and how we can support them as they follow team, the result was good with all crews making their young athletes in their quest for medals. either an A or B final with crews missing out on A finals by only the smallest of margins. By Peter Beaumont GBRTS Junior Representative GB Rowing Team Supporters Thank you to all GB Rowing Give BACK to Rowing! Team Supporters - Your As 2011 drew to a close our Treasurer, Peter continued dedication to the Hodge, joined the Trustees of the Mark Lees rowers means a lot! Foundation at the GB Rowing Team training bases in Caversham, to present a cheque to the charity which supports aspiring young rowers. Throughout the 2011 Season GBRTS were able to raise funds through membership and from their new range of Supporters kit. This meant we were able to donate £500 to the Mark Lees Foundation. This charity was chosen by the GBRTS committee as it is a charity that has helped many young rowers – some of who have grown up to become full time senior squad rowers! The Mark Lees Foundation was founded 18 years ago to support young rowers to cover their Got Tickets for the Olympics? training and travel costs and bridge the gap Need a place to stay? How between leaving school or university and joining does camping sound? the national rowing squads. With ever increasing Camping at the Games has now officially launched demand for grants, the Foundation has need to a campsite at Reading RFC. It will be geared up find new and ever more imaginative ways to fund specifically for Olympic and Paralympic ticket raise including their popular Balloon Race held holders and volunteers heading to the rowing at every year. However events. Not only will this site provide a great without the support of the rowing community value place to stay for rowing supporters but it would be very hard for the Foundation to the proceeds will go a long way in improving continue fulfilling its promise to help those Reading RFC’s facilities and supporting grass athletes who need it most. So it is with great roots talent in the wider community. pleasure that the Mark Lees Foundation would http://campingatthegames.com/reading-rfc- like to take this opportunity to thank the GB camping-near-the-2012-olympics/ Rowing Team Supporters for their support. There is also the option of a “flexi-camp,” which offers volunteers a more flexible option when booking their accommodation. This is vital given that very few Games Makers will be aware of their shift patterns until much closer to the games!

If you do require any further information please check the link above - and Happy Camping!

GBRTS - Feb 2012