Ted Bowler considers that Wallingford RC are in good shape as he starts his fifth year as club captain.

Bowler, a club-standard rower himself, considers that Wallingford had a good season in 2009.

Mick Brind who arrived as head coach three years ago from City of Oxford, has always had reasonable numbers of women in the Wallingford frame, But there were more men around this year.

The club had a good Henley and in Bowler’s mind have “started to pick up again.”

As evidence of this, he points out that when he first took over as captain the club raced mainly at provincial regattas.

But Brind has introduced the club to doing better at the more prestigious events.

The captain singled out the Metropolitan, Marlow and Wallingford regattas as examples.

The club continue to have the services of Tony Wheel coaching the younger members,while Brind masterminds both the men’s and women’s squads.

An addition to the coaching staff was made recently when Ben Reed, formerly the coach at St Paul’s School, London, was brought in to push those with international aspirations.

The club’s position has lost its status an official high performance centre, but they still have hopes of producing top competitors.