Stan Calvert 2017: Rowing

Beaten but unbowed Northumbria University rowing club insist the women’s team will improve despite a Stan Calvert loss to Newcastle University.

It wasn’t plain sailing for the women’s quad but crew member Emma Mould remains optimistic going into this weekend’s Tyne Head competition.

“I was very impressed with the girls’ performance,” said Mould. 

“Newcastle is one of the best universities in the country for rowing so, unfortunately, no one ever expects us to be up to their standards.

“It's currently head season (long distance races, 5km), so doing a sprint race put us out of our comfort zone but it was good to have a challenge.

“We think the team prepared for the race really well - we increased the amount of training over the last few months, including loads of hours on the water and extra land sessions.

“If there's one thing we would need to work on, it would be trying to relax, stay positive and believe in ourselves. 

“At the start of the race we have a tendency to get worked up about the pressure which can affect our performance.

“We need to go into the next race with a little more confidence and self-belief. However, we'll definitely bounce back from this.”

Northumbria' women will compete in the Tyne Head competition this Saturday, where they will face universities and rowing clubs from all over the country.

“We have another race this weekend at Tyne Head and next weekend, so we're looking forward to these, and I totally believe in the team’s ability," added Mould.