The Great Britain Under 23 squad continued the success story of British rowing this summer with a record-breaking haul of seven sets of medals – one gold, three silvers and three bronze – in the World Championships in Belarus last weekend, writes Mike Rosewell.

Oxon rowers were involved in four of the medal crews, one being the eye-catching performance of Peter Chambers, from Oxford Brookes, who took silver in the lightweight singles.

He put reigning champion Shadi Naghadeh, from Iran, under great pressure over the whole 2,000 metre course, losing by just under a length.

Three of Chambers’s Oxford Brookes clubmates – Karl Hudspith, Matt Tarrant and Scott Durrant – came home with bronze medals as members of the GB eight.

Locals were also involved in the men’s coxed four and lightweight quad, both boats taking bronzes.

Ertan Hazine, from Wallingford RC, and cox Max Gander, from Oxford, were in the coxed four, while Carl Delaney, from Wallingford, was stroke in the lightweight quad.

City of Oxford women were prominent for England in the Home Countries International in Cork last Saturday.

The junior coxed four were pipped for first place by just .4 seconds by Ireland. Keren Ward and Nicola Smith followed their pair appearance as the stern duo of the England composite eight, which took gold.

Since the departure of Cambridge coach Chris Nilsson last June, there has clearly been speculation as to his successor.

The answer came this week when it was announced that Steve Trapmore, the stroke of GB’s gold medal Olympic eight in 2000, will be taking over the post.