Tom Parker and Colin Smith, both in Oxford University Boat Club’s training squad in 2006, were within touching distance of some of the best rowers in the world yesterday when they came third behind their former OUBC team-mates, world champions and trials winners, Andy Hodge and Peter Reed, in the men’s pair event at the third GB Winter Assessment Trials in Boston, Lincs, yesterday.

Parker and Smith covered the 5km time trial course in a time of 17:58.72, just ten seconds behind former Cambridge Blues Tom Stallard and Josh West who were second.

CUBC current squad members Tom James and Kieran West were fifth in a time of 18:08.34 and their Light Blue Colleagues Jasper Hassell and Ed Sherwood were 10th in a time of 18:24.37.

In the men’s open weight single, CUBC’s Charlie Palmer was fourth in a time of 19:23.29 in a race won by Matthew Wells, the former GB U23 World Champion.