WALLINGFORD’S women starred when the first of the Great Britain squad trials took place on the ‘drainage ditch’ that is the River Witham in Boston, Lincolnshire, writes John Wiggins.

Conditions were testing, with a howling and bitter tailwind pushing the hopefuls along the 5km course.

Lightweights usually find a tailwind a great leveller.

And so it was that the top two women, Wallingford’s Gemma Hall and Ellie Piggott, were beaten by only one of the open-weight scullers.

To complete a great day for the club, Brianna Stubbs – the reigning world champion in the quad – was fourth.

Hall rowed in the single sculls at this year’s World Championships where Piggott and Stubbs won gold in the quad scull.

Henley’s Leander Club dominated the various men’s categories, though Oxford University men’s chief coach Sean Bowden will be pleased with three pairs in the top ten.

Oxford Brookes saw Jamie Copus come fourth and Joel Cassells seventh in the men’s lightweight singles.

Wallingford RC also featured in one of the several domestic events this past weekend.

On the Thames at the Kingston Small Boats Head, it was twofold victory for Leigh-Ann Bard and Kat Butler, who won the IM1 pairs race in the afternoon having already secured the IM1 fours event in the morning with Sam Burrows and Tori Bellamy.

At the Henley Sculls, Lil Cochrane and Cam Scarf of Falcon RC continue to have success, now in Masters D double sculls while Abingdon Rowing Club’s Bev Ashton was winner in the Masters B single.

Racing through the historic Bristol docks, Abingdon RC’s Ross Ferguson teamed up with Jonny Garrow of the Griffen BC (Abingdon School alumni and staff) to win the Senior double sculls at the City of Bristol Head.

Garrow then raced with Abingdon School colleague, Oliver Pemberton to win the IM3 pairs for Griffen.