Royal Military College in Kingston will represent Canada at the 100th anniversary of the King’s Cup at the Henley Regatta near London, England, July 3-7.
Henley Royal Regatta is an international rowing competition held annually since 1839, except for the years during the First and the Second World Wars.
In 1919, following the First World War, the highlight of the event was The King’s Cup, a special rowing competition between military crews from Canada, Australia, France, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and the United States, which consisted primarily of soldiers waiting to return home from the war.
A century later, this year’s organizers are commemorating the centenary of the 1919 race by inviting the original participating countries, as well as teams from Germany and the Netherlands.
Rowers will recreate the event by competing in eight-person boats at Henley-on-Thames, located west of London.
“The whole crew is really excited,” said Jack Murphy, a naval cadet.
Murphy says they’ve been training extremely hard in preparation for this prestigious competition.
“Weather permitting, we’re on the water twice a day, five days a week,” continued Murphy.
“To race on the Thames and the Henley course is a rower’s dream come true. To have the opportunity to go there is just breathtaking. It will be a tremendous experience competing against teams from all over the world.
Officer Cadet Deven Deguara says a year of hard work is about to pay off.
“This is an awesome opportunity for this crew,” said Deugara.
“Rowing on the Thames is super special to us. We’re there to win, have fun and represent our country the best we can. This really is a big deal.”
Naval cadet Seamus Mountford, meanwhile, says it’s an honour to wear the maple leaf at the historic event.
“Were really thankful for the opportunity,” said Mountford.
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“It’s special because we’re representing RMC, the Canadian Armed Forces and Canada. This crew is special. We row together and go to school together. We’re a family and it shows on the water.”
The 2019 Canadian Armed Forces King’s Cup team is comprised of eight rowers, one coxswain, two spares and two coaches.
The rowers are: 2nd Lieutenants Billy Campbell, Drew Spinney, and Liam Cooke; Officer Cadets Frédérique Santerre, Liam Vickers, Ethan Lockie, Brittany Cooper, and Deven Deguara; and Naval Cadets Jack Murphy and Shamus Mountford. Also heading to England is Navy Lieutenant Carolyn Pumphrey. She will act as the teams military liaison.
The coxswain is Officer Cadet Adam Blok.
Team coaches are Paul Overvelde and Stephen Lutz.
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