New Director of Rowing for Lea Rowing Club

Lea Rowing Club in East London is delighted to announce that it has secured Nigel Weare as its director of rowing. In a happy reunion, Nigel is returning to the boathouse on Spring Hill after 22 years, having previously been Master i/c Rowing at Forest School.

In the meantime, Nigel has coached at international level for five years and produced Henley Royal Regatta winning crews in 2005 and 2006. He has also coached winning crews at Women’s Henley.

Nigel is a well-known figure in the rowing world, having worked for the Amateur Rowing Association for 15 years as a national coach and coaching and development officer. Nigel wrote many of the materials for the various ARA (now British Rowing) coaching awards.

Nigel has been brought to Lea Rowing Club to head up a new look coaching team including ex World Champion Steve Simpole as Performance coach, Richard Ellis, steersman of the Lea RC Wyfold four of 2008, and Gill Parker, herself a former international oarswoman.

Nigel comments “It’s an exciting and challenging time for me; I have a remit to create a rowing structure for athletes of all abilities and ages across the club. I am writing 7 different training programmes which will accommodate everyone from beginner to international. In addition, I have been tasked with delivering success for Lea RC at both Henley Royal and Women’s Henley”.

Nigel continues “Lea RC, I think, is going to start to consistently deliver on its potential – which, in the last few years, it has not done. We have had 112 people on our Learn2row course this summer with more beginners joining imminently. In addition, we have two of the strongest veteran groups in the country and a fantastic junior section”.

“Moreover Lea RC is a great place to work; water conditions are fantastic year round, there are ambitious plans for the development of the boathouse, which sits on the same stretch of river as the Olympic Village, it is easy for people working in the City or North and East London to access and it is a club with great atmosphere where anyone would be happy to row or coach”.

Anyone interested in finding out more on Lea RC should look at the new website: www.learc.org.uk