PRESS RELEASE11 AUGUST 2015

Thames Rowing Club appoints assistant head coach Thames Rowing Club is pleased to announce the appointment of Jamie Croly as assistant head coach. Jamie will support head coach Ben Lewis and work alongside the clubs team of experienced and successful volunteer coaches. He will have particular responsibility for the senior womens squad. He joins the club from Oregon State University in the USA, where he was assistant coach for womens rowing in 2014/15. Prior to this role, Jamie was rowing administrator and Girls College head coach at St Stithians College in South Africa. Under his leadership crews regularly won schools and senior titles in South Africa and represented the country at the Junior World Rowing Championships and the World University Games. Jamie also competed for South Africa at junior and senior international level. He replaces Dustyn Butler, who has left Thames Rowing Club after two successful years leading the womens squad. The club would like to thank Dustyn for his hard work in leading the women to achievements including Henley Womens Regatta titles in 2014 and 2015, pennants at all the major head races, and representation at the Home International Regatta. We wish him well in his future endeavours. Prospective athletes for the 2015/16 season are invited to a start of season meeting and BBQ at 6.30pm on Wednesday 26 August, with training for the senior squads beginning at 8am on Saturday 29 August. Contact: Alan Bowling, captain@thamesrc.co.uk ___________________________________________________________________________ Note to Editors: Thames Rowing Club, founded in 1860, is based on Putney Embankment in south-west London. Catering for all, from juniors to veterans, from novices to internationals, Thames is currently one of the largest and most successful rowing clubs in the United Kingdom with around 600 members. The club won the Thames Challenge Cup at Henley Royal Regatta in July 2015, capping a season which also saw it win the Vernon Trophy and the IM3 and Novice pennants at the Head of the River Race. Thames crews have won 75 titles at Henley Royal Regatta since 1870. In the 1920s Thames was home to Britains greatest ever sculler, Jack Beresford, who won medals at five consecutive Olympic Games. It would be 60 years before Steve Redgrave bettered his record.Since becoming one of the first British rowing clubs to admit women in 1972, Thames rapidly became the powerhouse of women's rowing at both domestic and international level. Thames members have won both world championship and Olympic medals.Elise Laverick won bronze in the double sculls at both the 2008 Beijing and the 2004 Athens Olympics and sisters Guin and Miriam Batten won silver in the quadruple scull at the 2000 Sydney Olympics. Domestically, recent successes include the Head pennant at the 2012 Women's Head of the River and the Club pennant at the 2014 Women's Head of the River, and wins at the 2013, 2014 and 2015 Henley Women's Regatta. More information can be found at www.thamesrc.co.uk.