On the back of Team GB’s successful showing on the water at the 2024 Paris Olympics, Leeds 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.

Leeds have around 160 members, run four sessions a day at weekends on the water for juniors and adults, with those moving indoors during the winter, and will be hosting on-water and indoor taster sessions on the day.

Club chair David Saul said: “We’re looking the next Georgie Brayshaw (Olympic rowing champion from Leeds) and we’ve never done this before but what we’re doing is before we teach them to row is give them taster sessions.

“Part of the reason for this is we traditionally have done Learn to Row sessions in groups of six and we got to a stage where we had over 100 people waiting, and the wait list was about two years.

“I thought that was unsatisfactory because we lose a lot of people who don’t follow up their interest.

“We felt like we were being quite selective, so what we’re doing this time is getting everyone who wants to have a go to come down and have a taster session in our boats with our senior rowers and see how interested they are.

“Afterwards we’ll be asking as many of them as we think are suitable to come and start rowing.”

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.

Leeds are celebrating the triumph of one of their former rowers after Brayshaw won gold in the women’s quadruple sculls in the French capital.

They also have a defending Paralympic champion among their alumni in Ellen Buttrick, who was part of the gold medal-winning mixed coxed four crew in Tokyo three years ago.

Saul taught both in their formative years and knows what a difference rowing can make, saying: “We started a junior academy about three years ago.

“When I go to watch races, I constantly get parents saying to me rowing has changed their child’s life, and these are 13, 14, 15-year-old kids.

“I had a couple of parents telling me that at the National Championships, about six to eight parents telling me our academy has changed their child’s life.

“It’s the sort of thing where they’re saying they could not get them out of their bedroom and now, when it’s time to row, they’re there with their kit packed ready.”

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