British Teams take on the ERC in Bosnia
British rafting teams have returned from competing at the United Rafting European Championships in Banja Luka, Bosnia, racing on the challenging whitewater of the Vrbas River across Sprint, Rx and Slalom. With 5 teams in total, including 2 Mixed teams, 2 Womens and 1 Mens team. They faced strong international opposition whilst navigating revised competition rules, British crews delivered competitive performances across the various categories.
Notts Raft Racing Under-23s (GB1Mixed)
A mixed crew training together since 2022, following their competition in Pau earlier this year at the junior world championships they travelled to Bosnia to compete in the senior categories. Following some tough competition The mixed team placed 7th in Sprint, 9th in Rx and 5th in Slalom, gaining valuable experience at world-level competition.
Lee Valley Remix (GB2 Mixed)
Lee Valley Remix have been training together at Lee Valley White Water Centre as a mixed team for the last few years. Though their results weren’t quite what they hoped for, they said it was a privilege to represent Great Britain on the international stage.
They completed the week with a 9th place in sprint; 7th place finish in Rx and 9th place in slalom.
Red Rose Rafting Team (GB1 OW)
Despite tough competition the Roses were proud to gain fourth place in the new Head 2 head format known as Rx, competing in the Open Women’s category, they delivered a strong all-round performance against a deep international field.
The team placed sixth in Sprint, fourth in Head-to-Head and 6th in Slalom
Established in 2015 the championships provided another opportunity for the crew to test themselves on and continue their development at world-level competition.
Notts Rafting Ladies (GB2 OW)
With a fourth place on slalom to be proud of, The Notts Rafting ladies put in a strong performance throughout the competition.
Formed in 2019 just before covid struck and based at Holme Pierrepont, the team has continued to develop steadily under the guidance of their coaching team. Returning to Bosnia where they first raced on the international stage, they felt strong as a team and in control of the water.
They completed the competition with a 5th place in sprint; 6th place finish in RX and 4th place in slalom
Team Phoenix (GB1 OM)
Team Phoenix represented Great Britain in the Men’s category. Based at Holme Pierrepont Canoe Club, the crew has competed internationally since 2019 and arrived in Bosnia ready to race. During the event they fought hard against some exceptional teams in a very tough competition
They placed 12th in sprint, 11th in RX and 14th in Slalom
The Rafting Championships brought together teams from across Europe, providing a high-level test of technical skill, fitness and teamwork. For British crews, the event formed an important step in their ongoing international development.
