DURSLEY-based rower James Bird was part of the Gloucester-Hartpury Under-18s boys quad that shone at the Henley Royal Regatta last weekend.

The boys crew of Bird, William Kemp, Jack Williams and Joe Barnes defied their inexperience to put in their best row of the season as they lost out to the eventual winners.

Qualifying for the Regatta was a major achievement and good results earlier in the season saw them seeded in the top eight of 24 crews.

They opened with a comfortable win in the last 16 over Molesey Rowing Club but they then came up against Sir William Borlase Grammar School.

The boys produced their best row of the season to push them all the way but they just lost out, with Borlase going on to take the title.

Bird, Williams and Barnes are now preparing for final Great Britain junior team selection trials, hoping to become the first male students from the Hartpury rowing programme to achieve GB junior representation.