SIBLINGS that learned to row while at Grange School have been selected to represent Great Britain at the European Championships.

Emily Ford, who travelled to last year’s edition as a spare, has been named as part of a women’s four for a three-day regatta at Lucerne in Switzerland.

The Leander Club member, now 24, is joined in the boat by Sara Parfett (University of London) with whom she won the B final in a women’s pair during trials for the senior team last month.

Caragh McMurtry (Reading University) and Rebecca Girling (Molesey) complete the line-up.

Meanwhile Emily’s older brother, Tom, has switched to the men’s eight after competing in Glasgow 12 months ago in a men’s four that took silver.

He went on to claim bronze at the world championship in the same boat class.

Ford, who like his sister was captain of the rowing club while studying at the Hartford school, was second in the men’s pair A final during the trials at Caversham.

A strong men’s eight crew also includes Mo Sbihi, reigning Olympic champion in the men’s four, and Mat Tarrant – a two-time gold-medallist on the world stage.

“Competition among the athletes to be selected for the Europeans has been fierce,” said Brendan Purcell, British Rowing’s director of performance.

“Our main focus this season is on the world championships at the end of August when we’ll aim to qualify as many boats as possible for next year’s Olympic Games.

“However the European championships will provide us with a good indication of our speed and how that compares to some of our biggest rivals.”

The European Rowing Championships starts with heats on Friday week, May 31.

Great Britain's 49-strong contingent is the largest along with Germany and 36 federations will be represented by just under 600 athletes.