Our Internationals

The Rob Roy Boat Club is, and has been, the home of many athletes who have represented Great Britain. Some of the recent ones are listed here, along with the results they have achieved at the World Championships (highlighted results indicate those achieved whilst rowing for the club).

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Charles Cousins

Charles (as pictured above) is part of the World Class Start programme at the Rob Roy Boat Club. He started rowing in September 2004, and under the guidance of Adrian Cassidy he represented Great Britain twice, despite being only 18 years of age. Charles is currently studying Psychology at Reading University.

2008 Under-23 World Championships Gold Double
2007 Under-23 World Championships 5th Double
2006 Junior World Championships Bronze Pair

Hester Goodsell

Hester took up rowing at Latymer Upper School, under the watchful eye of Don McLachlan. Don moved to Cambridge but continued to coach Hester through her time at the University of York. After completing her degree, Hester studied the teaching of music at Hughes Hall, Cambridge where she joined the Rob Roy Boat Club and was coached full time by Don. She is now training in Reading as part of Robin Williams’ elite lightweight squad and has been selected to represent Great Britain at the Poznan World Championships this year in the lightweight double with her partner Sophie Hosking.

2009 Poznan World Championships Lightweight Women’s Double Scull
2008 Lucerne World Cup Gold Lightweight Women’s Double Scull
2008 Munich World Cup Gold Lightweight Women’s Double Scull
2008 Beijing Olympics 2008 11th Lightweight Women’s Double Scull
2007 World Rowing Championships 8th Lightweight Double
2006 World Rowing Championships Bronze Lightweight Quad
2005 World Rowing Championships Bronze Lightweight Quad
2005 Under-23 Rowing Championships Gold Lightweight Single

Laura Ralston

Laura started rowing at the age of 17 in her home town of Reading. After completing her degree at the University of London, she moved to Cambridge where she joined the Rob Roy Boat Club and was coached by Don McLachlan. She is now studying at the London School of Economics, and rowing at London Rowing Club.

2006 World Rowing Championships Bronze Lightweight Quad
2004 Under-23 World Championships 6th Lightweight Double

Laura Greenhalgh

Laura took up rowing at the age of 13 at Headington School as a keen all–round sportswoman. Despite enjoying hockey, netball and tennis she decided to pursue rowing and won her first international vest in the GB U16 team in the GB v France match in 2000.

She won gold medals at the Schools Head, National Schools and National Championships events as a member of the most successful girls’ school boat club, and in 2003 won a silver medal in the women’s coxless four event at the World Junior Championships in Athens.

In 2004 Laura began studying in Cambridge, training at Ely with Adrian Cassidy under the World Class Start Programme. She won the open senior lightweight single event at Essen International Regatta and came 4th in the lightweight double scull at the 2005 World U23 Championships in Amsterdam.

In her gap year she trained at Wallingford Rowing Club whilst working in the Oxford University teaching laboratories, setting a British Junior lightweight record on the ergometer and a course record in the lightweight double at Henley Women’s Regatta. She raced at the 2004 World U23 Championships in Poznan where she came 6th in the lightweight double.

She has represented Great Britain at junior, U23 and senior level in the lightweight women’s single, double and quad and has been selected to represent GB at the Poznan World Championships this year in the women’s lightweight quad.

2008 World Cup 8th and 9th Lightweight Women’s Double Scull
2008 Poznan World Championships Gold Lightweight Women’s Quad
2008 World Championships 4th Lightweight Women’s Quad

Helen Ralston

Annie Vernon

Vernon started rowing at Castle Dore Rowing Club in Cornwall when she was 17, inspired by her father who had also rowed.

She went to Cambridge University where she rowed in the women’s Blue Boat in 2003, but the secret of her progress was in joining GB Rowing’s World Class Start Programme in 2002 under Rob Roy. Based in Cambridge and coached by Adrian Cassidy she learnt to scull and began to show in the GB Rowing U23 testing.

Vernon gained her first GB vest in 2004 when she won a bronze medal in the pair at the World U23 Championships in Poznan. She joined the senior national squad in 2005 and finished seventh in the GB Rowing Senior Trials.

After finishing fourth in the double scull at the Eton World Cup in May, she substituted for an injured Rebecca Romero in the women’s quad at Lucerne, winning a silver medal. At the 2005 World Championships, during which she raced on her birthday, Vernon competed in the single scull and finished ninth overall.

For the 2009 World Cup series, she has teamed up with 2006 partner Anna Bebington to race the double.

2008 Beijing Olympic Games Silver Women’s Quad
2007 World Championships Gold Women’s Quad
2006 Munich World Cup Gold Women’s Double (with Anna Bebington)
2006 Poznan World Cup 4th Women’s Double (with Anna Bebington)
2006 Lucerne World Cup Silver Women’s Double (with Anna Bebington)
2006 World Championships 4th Women’s Double (with Anna Bebington)

Anna Bebington

Bebington attended Westwood High School in Leek but began rowing recreationally at Newham College Cambridge in 2001, aged 18, to get fit.

In summer 2003 she joined the World Class Start Programme, where she was coached by Adrian Cassidy under Rob Roy and began to row competitively, progressing to the GB U23 team in the first year and the senior team in the second.

Bebington set a BUSA (British Universities) record on the ergometer in 2003 and the following year became the World U23 champion with the women’s four.

In 2005 she won a bronze medal with the women’s eight at the Eton World Cup and went on to finish fifth with the eight at the World Championships in Japan and take a bronze in the pair at the World U23 Championships.

For the 2009 season she is racing in the double with 2006 partner Annabel Vernon.

2008 Beijing Olympic Games Bronze Women’s Double Scull
2008 World Cup Series 5th and Gold in the second and third regatta’s. Women’s Double Scull
2007 Munich World Championships Bronze Women’s Double Scull
2007 Munich World Cup Gold Women’s Double (with Annie Vernon)
2006 Poznan World Cup 4th Women’s Double (with Annie Vernon)
2006 Lucerne World Cup Silver Women’s Double (with Annie Vernon)
2006 World Championships 4th Women’s Double (with Annie Vernon)