Poplar Members Compete at 2025 World Rowing Masters Championships

Banyoles in Spain Hosted the 2025 World Rowing Masters Championships in 2025.

Three Poplar members raced in the event, Bob Milligan, Anita Newland and Joelle Jenny who raced for Dansk Studenters Roklub as she is working and training in Copenhagen.

5,500 rowers and almost 800 races over four days on the Lake Banyoles, Barcelona in Spain. The sheer size of the event needs to be experienced to be completely understood. It is quite overwhelming and has an energy of its own that is both exhausting and exhilarating! Lake Banyoles is massive (2,100 meters by 750meters) and a bit intimidating at first. It is encased by a dramatic mountain range and when covered with the multitude of rowers in different club/country colours -it looks magnificent.

Changeable weather from Thunderstorms to strong sun but always good water for racing on.

Early victories for the club In H double sculls in a composite with Mossman from Sydney Australia on day one. Thereafter the medal scoreboard ticked along and after 4 days of exciting 8 lane racing settled at 6 Gold medals. Some great races and very narrow margins.

Anita’s debut in international racing saw her finishing well in the Women’s Masters D single and she followed it up with another solid performance in Women’s Master E single. She finished off with an impressive 3rd place in the mixed doubles.

Bob Milligan’s involvement with composite crews as well as the H and G singles led to a good haul of first places. H 2X / I 4X / H 1X / H 4- / G 1X and H8. Consequently, Poplar was enjoying plenty of mentions and exposure over the big screens and commentary.

Joelle performed well with 5th and 3rd place finishes in her events. Come a long way since her first race at Peterborough a couple of years ago!

As Anita said of her first time racing at the Worlds: ‘This was a baptism of fire which I thoroughly enjoyed and can’t wait for the next one!’