Peterborough City junior rowers put Eastern Region on the podium at national Junior Inter Regional Regatta
Three Peterborough City junior rowers contributed to the Eastern Region’s best showing in years at the national Junior Inter Regional Regatta in Nottingham on Saturday 26 April.
The Eastern Region team, made up of club rowers from East Anglia who had won the open trials in March, was placed 3rd Overall of the 14 British Regions behind winners Thames Upriver, and took 2nd place in the Boys competition, 3rd in the Girls competition and 3rd in the Single Sculling competition.
Representing Peterborough City were Bea Gregory in the girls under 15 single scull, and George Dennis and Matas Lebed in the boys under 15 double sculls, in near-perfect conditions at the National Watersports Centre.
Peterborough City Rowing Club’s Bea Gregory before racing for the Eastern Region in the Junior Inter Regional Regatta 2025 girls under 15 single sculls ‘A’ final.
Facing a field of 26 under-15 scullers, Bea, who is a year younger and eligible to race at under 14 level, performed superbly to qualify for the ‘A’ final. Leading the six boat race over 1500m through well over half way, the older scullers in the field gradually challenged and overhauled her in the last third of the course to edge her into 4th place in a time of 6 minutes 57 seconds. Bea is coached by Alan Calver.
Peterborough City Rowing Club’s George Dennis and Matas Lebed before racing for the Eastern Region in the time trial for the Junior Inter Regional Regatta 2025 boys under 15 double sculls.
Peterborough’s boys double scull of George Dennis and Matas Lebed, racing in a field of 14, just missed out on an appearance in the ‘A’ final, but dominated their ‘B’ final from end to end, leading from the start and pushing away at the 1000m mark to beat the 2nd placed crew from Thames London by 7 seconds, in a time of 6 minutes dead. Matas and George are coached by Caroline Calver and Kev Benton.
Athletes began with the Peterborough ‘Junior Learn to Row’ course
All three Peterborough athletes are in their second season of competitive rowing. Bea and Matas began rowing in October 2022, both attending the same ‘Junior Learn to Row’ course held by Peterborough City, which is open to children from School Years 8 and 9 (13-14 year-olds). George began his rowing journey at the Learn to Row course in May 2022.
Peterborough City’s Eastern Region selected athletes at the Junior Inter Regional Regatta 2025. From left: Matas Lebed, George Dennis, Bea Gregory.
Peterborough’s next Junior Learn to Row course will be held in the school summer holidays from 4-7 August 2025. Further details are here: https://peterboroughcityrowing.co.uk/learn-to-row/learn-to-row-junior/
Peterborough’s Junior rowing coordinator, Caroline Calver, said:
“Junior rowing in the East is getting stronger and stronger and the trials this year to get into the Eastern Region team were fiercely competitive. That quality really came through at the Regatta where our athletes were matching the traditional regional strongholds stroke for stroke. We can be so proud of Bea, George and Matas and Peterborough’s contribution to the growing strength and competitiveness of junior rowing in the East.”
Next targets for the junior squad
Bea’s next races will see her joining forces with junior squad members to contest the under-15 girls quad sculls on the Olympic lake at Dorney in Berkshire for the Junior Sculling Regatta on the May Bank Holiday, alongside five other Peterborough City crews, including Matas and George in their under-15 double sculls. At the end of May, the Peterborough junior squad is targeting the National Schools Regatta back at Nottingham.
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Peterborough City Rowing Club Press Release 2025-4 | For Immediate Use | 28 April 2025
Contact PCRC Press Officer – PCRCpressofficer@gmail.com