On the back of Team GB’s successful showing on the water at the 2024 Paris Olympics, Newport Rowing Club is throwing open its doors to the public for the Great British Rowing Weekend.

From 7-8 September, clubs around the country will be welcoming their local communities, giving them the chance to give rowing a try, with British Rowing looking to grow visibility and participation in the sport.

Newport, one of three clubs on the Isle of Wight and the only one based next to a river, have 65 members, hold one session a day, depending on the tide, and will be hosting on-water and indoor taster sessions.

Club secretary Martin Sturgess said: “We’ve got two Learn to Row courses going through and any sports club will be desperate to for members, although we are careful not to over-promise.

“We’re a club of 65, but like most clubs only about a third of the members are active in the club, and those with coaching qualifications even less, so we do our best with the manpower we’ve got.

“Every time an Olympics takes place, it drums up interest. Every four years we always get a membership boost – we’ve currently got six on Learn to Row and then another six waiting for the next course.

“These are all guys who have been in touch over the last couple of months.”

After a disappointing Games in Tokyo, the British rowing team enjoyed a spectacular return to form during the Paris Olympics, winning nine medals including three golds, and have more success in their sights at the ongoing Paralympics.

That Newport manage to consistently put sessions together is an achievement in itself, with them tending to have only around three hours a day when the tide is right on the River Medina.

Sturgess said: “It’s one session a day and sometimes if we’ve got lots of members sharing boats, we’ll send the same boat out twice.

“But if we get it wrong, they come back when the water’s gone and they’re treading in mud, so we’re very cautious and we only send people out on the water in those few hours the water is up.”

A celebration of rowing! The Great British Rowing Weekend launches in 2024. From 7-8 September 2024, clubs around the country will be opening their doors to their local communities, giving everyone in the UK a chance to try rowing – for more information visit britishrowing.org