FORMER Northwich Rowing Club members starred for the British team during a regatta at the European Universities Games in Portugal.

George Lawton, who took part in the World Rowing Junior Championships two years ago, was part of a men’s double with Rory Harris that took gold in their boat class at Coimbra.

The Reading University combination were unbeaten over two races, and followed a comfortable victory in their heat with another in the A final.

Lawton, now 20, and Harris contested the same category in Rotterdam in 2016 after first racing together on the international stage at the Coupe de la Jeunesse a year earlier.

There was a medal too, this one silver in colour, for George Crouchley in a lightweight men’s pair with fellow University of Nottingham student Robert Muscroft.

They twice trailed impressive Dutch tandem Tijmen Van Rietbergen and Julian Bakker (University of Wageningen) across the line in races over 2,000m at Montemor-o-Velho.

Meanwhile Lucy Gillbanks, who brought back a pair of silver medals from last year’s edition, could not add to her collection after contesting the lightweight women’s double with Nina Giambrone.

The University of Nottingham duo, runners-up at Henley Women’s Regatta last month, qualified directly for the A final after classifying second in their heat.

They finished fifth, behind a second British entry from the University of Oxford, when they returned to the water on Thursday.

A squad of more than 100 rowers, along with 18 coaches, formed the British Universities rowing delegation.

Together they matched a feat achieved by the team in 2017 when they retained the EUSA Rowing Salver.

“One of my favourite things about our team at this event is that you see universities that are usually rivals working together and supporting each other,” said manager James Lee.