By Alex Watson
J16 athletes Patrick Moroney and Johnny Rofé spoke with Alex Watson about their incredible experience representing Great Britain over the summer.
Rowing is, without a doubt, one of Hampton’s most popular sports. First introduced to pupils in Year 9, it typically sees large numbers of boys switching over to it from football or rugby. The dedicated coaching team and superb facilities provided by the school have helped produce many an accomplished rower, with an abundance of Old Hamptonians going on to pursue the sport professionally, with some even competing in it for Great Britain at the Olympics.
A rowing squad, comprising of Hampton students Patrick Moroney, Oliver Shanley, Matthew Woodburn, Archer Jones and Johnny Rofe (cox), were certainly looking to follow in the footsteps of those before them over the summer, representing Great Britain J16 in their annual race against France.
‘The GB team is selected with each boat being made up entirely of one school,’ explained Rofe when asked about the trialling process. ‘Our Hampton team trialled against schools at the National Watersports Centre in Nottingham for the chance to represent GB in the coxed four.’
A strong performance by the Hamptonians in qualifying saw them finish a good five seconds faster than their nearest competition, testament to the ‘amazing’ coaching they’d received over the last few years, as well as their own dedication and hard work.
Despite this, the squad were not initially filled with confidence come the day of the race.
‘Tensions were high,’ admitted Rofe. ‘We had no knowledge of how strong our opposition were, so we knew anything could happen.’
The task at hand was indeed a daunting one. Whilst the crew had raced in many major events before, nothing compares to the pressure of representing your country – in an international fixture at the prestigious London Regatta Centre, no less. Yet the experienced Hampton athletes managed to calm themselves, trying not to focus on the magnitude of the situation.
‘We trusted each other and our ability to work together, as we had done countless times before. Rowing for Team GB was a surreal experience, and there were definitely some nerves, but thanks to the coaching team, it ultimately didn’t feel too daunting or pressurised; we all just felt unbelievably grateful to be competing for our country.’
‘Our coach for the race, Mr Nugent, said before the time trial not to think you’re nervous but to think you’re excited,’ added Moroney, ‘and I think that’s how we tried to approach things.’
And that excitement certainly shone through. The crew may have got off to a slow start, initially falling behind the French boat, but they quickly gained speed, staying focused and trusting their ability, both individually and as a team. Having overtaken their opponents roughly 500 metres into the course, there was no stopping the J16 Hamptonians, who managed to gradually extend their lead as the race went on, and were ultimately victorious by a comfortable margin.
‘The feeling at the end was just pure elation,’ said Moroney. ‘We hadn’t won much for the school that season, so to end it on such a high, winning for Hampton and for GB, was just amazing.’
Rofé agreed that the win was ‘particularly special’, with the J16 cox admitting that it was the ‘greatest achievement I could have in rowing, and I’m sure my crew would agree with me on that.’
For many of the squad, however, there will hopefully be many more ‘special’ achievements to come, both for Hampton and Team GB. Aside from the highly anticipated National Schools’ Regatta at Dorney Lake in May 2026, many athletes, including Moroney, will be looking to attend the U19 GB Trials next year.
‘The trial will be tough,’ he confessed, ‘it’s a 9 month-process, with rigorous ergometer and on-water testing, and a huge number of boys compete, not just Lower Sixth Hamptonians but also guys in the year above, and obviously others from a load of different schools – there’s so much competition.’
The Lower Sixth athlete will also be looking to secure a place in the senior boat for the 2025-26 season, in what promises to be a very exciting year for Hampton rowing with an ‘improving squad.’
The recent world champions produced by the school – Harry Bernard OH (2025), Harry Oliver OH (2025) and Leo Robertson to name a few – are clear indicators of the high-quality coaching on offer, and can leave our successful J16 athletes, alongside many others, feeling very excited about what’s to come next for Hampton rowing.
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