28th June 2007 was the date for the first ever Indoor Rowing Competition within the Key Stage 4 Multi-sport festival. The whole event was organised by the Tameside School Sports Partnership, however, the indoor rowing event was organised and delivered by Concept2.

Throughout the year, the SSP have tried to develop indoor rowing in secondary schools, by ‘lending’ 2 Concept2 rowing machines to schools at a week at a time. The idea was to offer a new experience to pupils, hoping to engage them with physical activity at breaks, after school and during PE lessons. Schools implemented an intra-school rowing league using the ‘Oarsome challenge’ (taken from the Concept 2 website). Results were then collated by the Competition Manager and schools were asked to highlight their Top 10 pupils. Awards were given out to top rating schools.

Over 700 pupils took part from year 7-11. Special schools were also encouraged to take part.

At the Key Stage 4 festival, Concept2 delivered the inter school competition. Approximately, 200 pupils took part in team relays, individual challenges and fun sessions, 100 males and 100 females. 21 children with disabilities also took part, 7 with severe learning & physical disabilities and 14 with moderate learning disabilities.

The event was fantastic. A league was created and the pupils formed a team of 6 to take part in a relay challenge. It was great to see the teams encouraging each other and fully embracing the ethos of the festival. From all of the feedback (teachers and pupils), indoor rowing was rated as the best competition that day.

Colin Holmes, Head of PE at Astley Sports College, “The rowing event was fantastic. So many of our pupils had never experienced a competition as interactive as this before. They came away from the event excited about the sport and cannot wait for the next competition!”

“This is excellent. Our team won the relay challenge. It was hard work though!” said one pupil. Emma Heap, Competition Manager, Tameside SSP