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The first benchmark for selection for the GB Rowing Team for the 2026 season takes place this weekend, as aspiring athletes make the biannual journey to the notorious Boston, Lincolnshire. The November edition features a two-kilometre ergometer test on Saturday, to determine which athletes progress to the five-kilometre time trial on the water on Sunday. Both assessments provide an equal chance to impress the selectors at this early point in the season. The two gruelling tests allow athletes to put themselves in contention for seats at the U23 World Rowing Championships next year, held in Duisburg, or to demonstrate their potential as future Olympic or U23 contenders.
The U23 single scullers competing this year at Boston include a host of talent from across the country. With US-based athletes not present at this trial, those who train in UK clubs have a chance to showcase themselves as world-class.
Matt Long – Reading University BC
The sculling sensation, Matt Long, undoubtedly comes into this trial as the favourite for the fastest U23 sculler. Having raced at the U23 World Rowing Championships for the past two years and secured a fourth-place finish this summer in the quadruple sculls, he will be looking to put himself again in a top position for a U23 medal. This season so far, he has won the Scullers Head of the River Race and placed second at the Wingfield Sculls last weekend, ahead of Olympian and world silver medallist Callum Dixon and only beaten by GBRT trials winner and world champion George Bourne. Given this prowess, I would expect the Reading University athlete to place in the top five overall scullers on Sunday.
Harry Ruinet – Marlow RC
Hailing from the same U23 World Rowing Championship quad as Matt Long, who came fourth last summer, is Harry Ruinet. He has an impressive CV, which continues to grow, having raced at the U19 World Rowing Championships in 2022 and 2023, and the U23 World Rowing Championships in 2024 and 2025. He also led an impressive Henley Royal Regatta campaign alongside fellow 2025 U23 World Rowing Championships crewmate Max Bird at Henley Royal Regatta, reaching the final of The Prince of Wales Challenge Cup with Marlow Rowing Club. Another big name in U23 sculling and with an immense amount of international racing experience, Ruinet will be hungry to put his name into the mix of top UK-based U23 athletes.
Joshua Matthews – Edinburgh University BC
After a year of illness and injury last year, Josh Matthews returned to form to make The Prince Albert Challenge Cup final at Henley Royal Regatta. He has some serious sculling pedigree, having competed at the U19 World Rowing Championships in 2022 and the U23 World Rowing Championships in 2024, finishing sixth in the quad both times. His presence on the sweep scene also continues to rise with a BUCS Regatta gold medal in the championship pair in 2024. It remains to be seen which discipline he will be competing in. Either way, he will be a fierce contender and in the top pack of U23s.
Jake Birch – Hereford RC
Having graduated from the University of Bristol, Jake Birch now rows with Hereford RC. The young sculler raced at the 2022 U19 World Rowing Championships and came away with a silver medal. Since then, he has enjoyed a successful couple of seasons at Bristol, making the Saturday of Henley Royal Regatta in a competitive Prince Albert Challenge Cup field. Birch also has some good experience in sculling, having raced at the November trials last year in the single, coming away as the sixth fastest U23 before switching to sweep. I expect to see him perform well, given his breadth of experience.
Freddy Foxwell – Edinburgh University BC
Formerly of Leander Club and a Fawley Challenge Cup winner, Freddy Foxwell ended last year as the seventh U23 from April trials and had some good results throughout the season, including as part of the Edinburgh University Prince of Wales Challenge Cup boat. He will be keen to move up through the rankings this year.
William Stradling – Bath University Boat Club
Graduating from the Performance Development Academy centre based in Bath, Will Stradling had a strong season of development last year. He raced in the double with Joshua Knight to a strong B-final result at the April trials last year, as well as being a member of the University of Bath Prince of Wales Challenge Cup crew at Henley Royal Regatta. Following this, he will be eager to showcase his speed on the ergometer and the water.
U21 Entries
Archie Norton, of Minerva Bath, was the fourth fastest U21 last year at the February trials, so will be looking to place highly in this category again this year. Sam Furley of Nottingham University and Ben Snoxall of Reading University will also be ones to watch in this category. Thomas Pakulis of Lea RC makes the jump from junior level this year after racing in the quad at the Coupe de La Jeunesse last season.
Other Entries
It is challenging to predict which registered athletes from big sweep programmes will be sculling for trials; however, there are a few names with sculling pedigree from Oxford Brookes University. Ruben Taylor and Sal Dunn sculled at the 2024 U19 World Rowing Championships, so they could be in the mix with the U21s if they choose to scull. Alex Knighton also returns to trials. He is a name that consistently performs well nationally and is now in his final year of U23 competition. Teddy Sherman of Leicester RC won the club single at the British Rowing Club Championships last summer and could be an interesting contender, along with Gyr Balmer from Bath University BC, who is another promising athlete from the GB Performance Development Academy.
Predictions
At this early point in the season, we have yet to see which athletes might emerge as front-runners. However, it doesn’t seem very smart not to predict Matt Long as the quickest U23 sculler and Harry Ruinet closing in on second. The rest of the positions are certainly up for grabs, depending on how the U21s have developed and who else arrives at the start line.
