Schools rowing: St Mungo’s pull together in bid for more success

ROWING: It didn’t need the Olympic Games to get pupils from St Mungo’s Academy in Glasgow’s east end interested in rowing.

Thanks to the Glasgow Schools’ Indoor Rowing Project, support from the Steve Redgrave Trust and the enthusiasm of teacher Elizabeth Grant, the school has built up a great reputation in the sport.

“The rowing club started with weekly lunchtime meetings about four years ago,” said Mrs Grant, the head of science. “It has now grown to three sessions a week and we have seven indoor rowing machines – five donated by the Steve Redgrave Trust.

“We have had tremendous support from Scottish Rowing and there is huge enthusiasm among the pupils.”

Clydesdale’s Rosie Young, a leading Scottish rower, has helped with coaching, and the school is regularly on the prize list at the annual Glasgow Schools’ Indoor Rowing Championships.

“We also row outdoors on the Clyde and at Strathclyde Park and there were some pupils who I kept going right through the summer holidays,” added Mrs Grant.

Among the leading lights are three third year pupils – Luigi Porrelli, who won two gold medals at last year’s Glasgow Schools’ Indoor Championships, Connor Pritchard and Zimbabwe-born Amanda Nynangwe.

“St Mungo’s Academy has a history of rowing,” said Mrs Grant. “Maureen Simpson was an enthusiastic teacher but it trailed off after she left in 1991.

“It’s great to get it going again and the Olympics should certainly have helped to make it even more popular.”

With funding from Glasgow City Council and supported by Sportscotland, Scottish Rowing’s Development Manager Amanda Cobb now has 27 schools and over 300 pupils involved in the Indoor Programme.

Two from the early days are now making their mark at the top level. Gavin Murty (formerly of St Thomas Aquinas Secondary School) and Kieran Brown (formerly of Lourdes Secondary School) have both represented GB at World Under-23 Championships. Rio here they come?