The Henley Royal Regatta has announced the following news for the 2018 regatta.
Bishop, Hosking and Murray elected Stewards of the Henley Royal Regatta
Cath Bishop
Dr. Catherine Tillett (nee Bishop) has been elected a Steward of the Regatta.
Catherine was born in Leigh-on-Sea and educated at Westcliff High School for Girls. Her rowing career started while studying German and Russian at Pembroke College, Cambridge. After University Cath competed in the Atlanta, Sydney and Athens Olympics. In 2004 she won a Silver medal, rowing in a pair with Katherine Grainger.
Cath studied for her Master's in International Politics at the University of Wales, Aberystwyth, and for her PhD in contemporary German Literature from the University of Reading.
In 1999 she was the World Indoor Rowing Champion.
From 2001 to 2014 she joined the Foreign Office as a Diplomat specialising in conflict issues, spending time in Sarajevo, Bosnia, and Basra, Iraq, as well as leading in Whitehall on the UK civilian contribution to conflicts around the world. She became Deputy Director of the Stabilisation Unit in London from 2009 to 2011.
She now has her own consultancy business, specialising in leadership and team performance.
Cath is Chairman of Cambridge University Women's Boat Club (CUWBC), and is a member of both Marlow Rowing Club and Thames Rowing Club.
Cath is married to Matt Tillett and together they have a son and a daughter.
Sophie Hosking
Sophie H. M. Hosking, M.B.E. has been elected a Steward of the Regatta. Sophie was educated at Kingston Grammar School and read Chemistry and Physics at Trevelyan College, Durham, graduating in 2007.
Sophie was a regular medallist in the lightweight team; winning medals consistently over a six-year period, culminating in an Olympic win.
Sophie won a Gold medal for Great Britain in the 2012 Olympics lightweight double sculls with Katherine Copeland. Hosking and Copeland's success was the second of six Gold medals won by Great Britain on the middle Saturday of the 2012 Games, on what became known in the United Kingdom as "Super Saturday".
In the 2013 New Year's Honours, Sophie was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire for services to rowing.
Sophie is a member of London Rowing Club and became the first female captain, serving for two seasons from 2014 to 2016.
For the last two years Sophie has been a member of the F.I.S.A. Athletes' Commission.
Following her retirement from competitive rowing, Sophie became a trainee solicitor at Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer and qualified in March 2017.
Her father, David Hosking, won Gold in the lightweight eight at the World Championships in 1980.
Rod Murray
Rod C. D. Murray has been elected a Steward of the Regatta. Rod has been actively involved with helping at Henley Royal Regatta for many years with duties including Entries (taking over from John Luker), entries finance, qualifiers, race reporting during the Regatta, on the progress board team and as part of the commentary team.
Rod is an important member of the team in the lead up to the Regatta and his knowledge, various reviews and research of crews is invaluable. Rod has an eye for detail and his standards are very high.
On top of his commitment to Henley Royal Regatta, Rod was on the National Championships Committee from 2005 to 2009, and Chairman from 2007 to 2009. Rod is also on various regatta committees (and Race Committee Chairman of some) including Reading Amateur and Coate Water Park, and regatta controller of The Henley Town & Visitors' Regatta. Rod has been a member of Henley Rowing Club for many years.
Rod was also a key member of the Organising Committee for the 2005 World Rowing Cup and 2006 World Rowing Championships. He was part of the small group known as WOW (Workers of the Worlds) and did sterling work managing and briefing the 700 volunteers.
He is a British Rowing Umpire and involved with umpire and launch driver training. Rod was a launch driver at the 2012 London Olympics.
Rod, often described as a 'stalwart' both in his club and in everything that he does to help organise rowing events, was awarded The Diamond Jubilee Award 2012 in recognition of his commitment and dedication to rowing, and for his work in raising the standard of umpiring through his work for the Thames Regional Rowing Council.
Rod runs his own Management Consultancy, specialising in leadership training for top-level executives of large companies, he also works for various government departments.
Rod lives in Wargrave and for many years has been the musical director for the Wargrave annual pantomime.
Three New Women's Events at HRR Named
Henley Royal Regatta has officially named the three new women's events introduced at the 2017 Regatta. A new trophy for each event is currently being specially designed and commissioned for presentation at the 2018 Regatta.
The Stewards are delighted to announce the three new event names.
The women's fours will be named
THE TOWN CHALLENGE CUP
The women's pairs will be named
THE HAMBLEDEN PAIRS CHALLENGE CUP
The women's double sculls will be named
THE STONOR CHALLENGE TROPHY
Updated Rules for 2018
The regatta has also published the following Amendments to the Qualification & General Rules for 2018.
The Temple and The Prince Albert Challenge Cups
Rule 1(e) - Change
The Stewards have decided to add "a Senior European Championships" to the existing Rule 1(e).
New Rule 1(e):
The Temple Challenge Cup
Rule 1(f) - Change
The Stewards have decided to replace the existing Rule 1(f):
with the following:
The reason for this change is that the Committee feels that the top athletes are taken out of this event by Rule 1(d) and new Rule 1(f). By deleting the old Rule 1(f) the crew is able to reform using rowers from second and third eights to enable them to row in The Temple.
The Prince Albert Challenge Cup
Rule 1(f) - Change
With the new Rule 1(e), Rule 1(f) will now change to: