GB Teams
Great Britain has been involved in international competition since the inauguration of the first World Championships held in Yue Yang, China in 1995. GB squads have competed in every European and World Championships held since then.
Great Britain runs squads in:
We are also in the process of laying the foundations for a GB Para Dragon Team.
Each squad enters some or all of Open, Mixed and Ladies categories, in either small (10 person) boats or standard (20 person) boats.
The typical cycle of a coaching team is two years, which normally incorporates a European Nations Championship run by the EDBF, and a World Championship run by the IDBF.
Each GB squad runs a series of British National Training Squad (BNTS) sessions to show potential squad members what is required and allow the coaches to see who may be interested. These sessions are followed by trials for selection into the full GB squad. Trials and selection are held each year, so squad members may vary between a European Championship and the following World Championship.
Details of 2025/26 BNTS sessions for each squad will be listed below once they are confirmed. If you are interested in paddling, drumming or helming at the next European or World Championship, please contact your preferred squad directly for more information.
Who’s who
Each GB squad has its own coaching and management team, supported by the Team GB Manager. The Team GB Manager works with the squads to coordinate entries and logistics, and to represent and support all GB teams at international events. While the BDA sets the overall framework, each squad’s management has considerable autonomy to coach and lead their crews in the way they feel is best.
The current GB Team Manager is Christine Cosgrove
Contact: gb.manager@thebda.org.uk.
Junior A & Junior B (U18 & U24)
The Junior A team are the Great Britain Under 18s dragon boat squad and Junior B are the Under 24s squad.
To be eligible for a Junior squad, in the year of competition paddlers and drummers must be at least 12 years of age and no older than 18 or 24 respectively.
There is no upper age limit for helms in the Junior categories.
The 2026/27 Junior squad management team is:
- Paul Freemantle – Joint Head Coach
- Corey Slater – Joint Head Coach
- Michelle McCluskey – Admin Manager
- Lorna Jeff – Safeguarding Lead
BNTS
The first BNTS session will be on Sunday 28 September at Infinity Boat Club, Moat St, Stockton-on-Tees TS18 3AZ. Sign up here.
Further BNTS dates and venues are tbc. This page will be updated with details when they are available. Please email the team if you would like to be kept up to date with information about Junior BNTS sessions.
Contact: gb.u18@thebda.org.uk.
Premier
The premier squad has no age restrictions and is open to everyone.
In the 2024 European Championships, the Premier squad entered small boat mixed, standard boat mixed, small boat ladies, and standard boat open crews, and returned with 2 silver and 7 bronze medals. In the 2025 World Championships the squad entered small boat mixed and standard boat open crews and reached the grand final of all race distances.
The 2026/27 Premier squad management team is:
- Que Page – Head Coach
- Tash Page – Admin Manager
- Nick Shaw
- Ali Marsland
BNTS
BNTS dates and venues are tbc. This page will be updated with details when they are available. Please email the team if you would like to be kept up to date with information about Premier BNTS sessions.
Contact: gb.premier@thebda.org.uk.
Senior A
Paddlers and helms whose 40th or later birthday falls in the year of competition are eligible for the Senior A team.
Drummers for Senior A can be younger but must be at least 12 years of age in the year of competition.
The 2026/27 Senior A squad management team is:
- Chris Hesling – Head Coach
- Emily Neville-Taylor – Admin Manager
BNTS dates and venues are tbc. This page will be updated with details when they are available. Please email the team if you would like to be kept up to date with information about Senior A BNTS sessions.
Contact: gb.senior-a@thebda.org.uk.
Senior B/C
The Senior Bs and Senior Cs are fondly known as the ‘Grand Dragons’ and are made up of paddlers and helms whose 50th or 60th (or above) birthdays respectively fall in the year of competition.
Drummers for Senior B/C can be younger but must be at least 12 years of age in the year of competition.
At the World Championships in 2025, the Grand Dragons collected 2 gold, 2 silver and 4 bronze medals, while at Euros in 2024 they brought home 4 gold, 3 silver and 5 bronze.
To register your interest for 2026, please complete this form.
The 2026/27 Senior B/C squad management team is:
- Vaughn Colling – Head Coach
- Paul Cutmore – Assistant Coach
- Julia Griffin – Senior C Women’s Coach
- Liz Hearne – Admin Manager
Contact: gb.senior-b@thebda.org.uk.
BCP
All competitors (paddlers, helms and drummers) in the BCP category must be at least 12 years of age in the year of competition and must be BCP. There is no upper age limit.
The 2026/27 BCP squad management team is:
- Tim William Smith – Head Coach
- Wendy Grose – Assistant Coach
- Karen Kelly – Admin Manager
Contact: gb.bcp@thebda.org.uk.
