Poplar Stands Proud at World Rowing Masters Regatta 2026 in Bled

Against the stunning backdrop of Lake Bled, Slovenia, Poplar joined 4,711 athletes from 51 countries for five unforgettable days of racing between the 9th and 13th of September. After a scorching training day, the first two days of competition were hit by thunderstorms and relentless rain, with part of the evening schedule forced to be cancelled. Thankfully, the sun returned for the final days, lifting the atmosphere and rewarding the crews with stunningly flat, turquoise water.

Here is how our athletes performed across a packed and unpredictable week of international racing:

• Anita: Keeping her composure through endless stop-and-go weather delays, Anita fought hard to take 7th in her opening WC 1x heat. She returned on Day 4 to claim 7th in the WD 1x and an impressive 5th in the WE 1x. She rounded off a highly busy racing week by teaming up with Putney Town’s Edward Boileau to sec´ure a strong 5th place in the Mixed E 2x.
• Joelle: Earning her racing stripes through the storm delays, Joelle secured a brilliant 3rd in her WC 1x before taking 5th in both the WD 1x and WE 1x—the latter decided by a fingernail photo finish just 0.1 seconds off 4th place. The WE 2x was a thrilling sprint where she came in 6th, with a mere second separating 4th, 5th, and 6th places. Her WE 4x quad delivered a clean, technical race to finish 4th, and she wrapped up her campaign in the true spirit of international rowing with a 3rd-place finish alongside Mexico’s Raymundo Guzman in the Mixed D 2x.
• Taran: Taking on a mixed schedule of coxing and sculling, Taran showed incredible versatility. In the coxswain seat, she supported an American WG 4+—comprising ladies who had beaten cancer alongside their rowing compatriots—to an 8th-place finish. She also steered a scratch international WA 8+ that quickly came together to deliver an incredibly pacey 3rd place. Transitioning to sculling, Taran steered an international WB 4x into 7th place and delivered a technically solid race to finish 4th in the WA 1x. The absolute highlight of her regatta, however, was a tough-fought and bittersweet 2nd place in the WB 1x, which shaved 10 seconds off her previous race time and set a brand-new personal best.
• Vicky: Delivering strong and confident rows across three single scull events, Vicky’s determination shone through. Battling the pouring rain on Day 1 to come in 8th, she then overcame a tricky start on Day 3 and navigated pre-race hurdles on Day 4 to come away with 6th and 8th place finishes, respectively. Her delivery throughout these races underscores her grit and marks a tremendously proud step forward in her racing journey.

Club standing points are calculated by the finishing position per boat type (excluding composites and mixed crews). With all four athletes contributing points to the final score, Poplar wrapped up the World Masters with a noteworthy 99-place jump up the rankings, finishing equal 336th out of 728 clubs globally.

These achievements are the direct result of months of training and determination, as well as the unwavering support of family, friends, coaches, and the club. A heartfelt thank you to everyone who helped Poplar wrap up the regatta season in style.

Next stop: Varese, Italy in 2027!

Pictures courtesy of Vicky Rebori, Szabi Szilagyi, Taran Blyth.