University of St Andrews Athletes Earn International Selection for European Rowing Coastal and Beach Sprint Championships
Four University of St Andrews rowers and a member of coaching staff have been selected to represent their nations at the 2026 European Rowing Coastal and Beach Sprint Championships in Spain.
The athletes will compete against Europe’s finest coastal rowers at the 2026 European Rowing Coastal and Beach Sprint Championships, taking place from 16 to 20 September in La Línea de la Concepción, Spain. The event marks the first time the championships have been hosted at Poniente Beach.
Representing Great Britain, University of St Andrews Boat Club rowers Cam Buchan and Colin Wallace have been selected as part of a 13-athlete squad spanning senior and under-19 categories. They will be joined by Lewis McCue, Director of Rowing at the University of St Andrews, who has been named to the Great Britain coaching team.
Buchan will compete in the Coastal Men’s Solo event and arrives in Spain in outstanding form, currently leading the Senior Open Beach Sprint leaderboard in the 2026 Four Nations Series. A proven performer on the international stage, he was part of the Mixed Quadruple Sculls crew that secured gold at the 2024 World Rowing Beach Sprint Finals.
Wallace will once again contest the Inclusion Mixed Double Sculls, an event in which he has already claimed two world titles. He won gold in 2024 alongside fellow University of St Andrews Boat Club athlete Natacha Searson, before retaining the title in 2025 with Megan Hewison. At this year’s European Championships, Wallace will partner Clare Jamison of Christchurch Rowing Club, the 2024 world silver medallist in the Coastal Women’s Solo.
The University’s international representation extends beyond Great Britain, with two current students selected by their home nations.
Rosa Thompson, a Sports Scholar and postgraduate student in Data Science, has been selected to represent Estonia in the Coastal Mixed Double Sculls. Thompson is an established competitor on the international beach sprint circuit and was part of the Great Britain Mixed Quadruple Sculls crew that won gold at the 2024 World Rowing Beach Sprint Finals in Genoa, securing Britain’s first-ever world title in that boat class. She has also earned medals at both European and British championships.
First year St Andrews student Adam Perout (BSc Geography and Sustainable Development) will represent Czechia in the Coastal Mixed Double Sculls. Perout previously competed for Czechia in the Coastal U19 Mixed Double Sculls at the 2025 World Rowing Beach Sprint Finals and continues to establish himself as one of the country’s emerging talents in coastal rowing.
Lewis McCue, Director of Rowing at the University of St Andrews, said:
“This is a fantastic achievement for all of our athletes and reflects the strength of the rowing programme at St Andrews. To have student-athletes selected by three different nations, alongside representation within the Great Britain coaching team, demonstrates both the international nature of our club and the high-performance environment our athletes are part of. We wish Cam, Colin, Rosa and Adam every success at the European Championships.”
The selections underline the growing reputation of the University of St Andrews as a centre for excellence in coastal and beach sprint rowing, with current students, alumni and staff continuing to perform at the highest levels of international competition.
Selected University of St Andrews representatives at the 2026 European Rowing Coastal and Beach Sprint Championships:
- Cam Buchan (Great Britain) – Coastal Men’s Solo
- Colin Wallace (Great Britain) – Inclusion Mixed Double Sculls
- Rosa Thompson (Estonia) – Coastal Mixed Double Sculls
- Adam Perout (Czechia) – Coastal Mixed Double Sculls
- Lewis McCue, Director of Rowing (Great Britain) – Coaching Team
The 2026 European Rowing Coastal and Beach Sprint Championships take place in La Línea de la Concepción, Spain, from 16 to 20 September 2026.