The Three River Serpents’ GB quintet includes Mick Kay, a landscape gardener and a qualified coach in the sport, from Tudhoe, County Durham, who will make his debut in a major international competition in the event in Germany.
Civil Servant Stephen Roe, from Bishop Auckland, returns to the national squad after recovering from a shoulder injury suffered in the immediate aftermath of 2023’s World Championships, in Thailand.
He is also a qualified coach and an executive member of the sports’ national governing body.
The fifth crew member, Matthew Oliver, an Open Reach broadband engineer from Spennymoor, will be representing his country for the third time in a year.
His medal tally in Prague was two silvers and three bronzes before going to China, in September, to compete in an invitation World Cup.
While the GB crews improved their performances over the Europeans in that event, the tournament was dominated by the hosts.
The five Three Rivers Serpents hopefuls will join other GB crew members, heading for the world championships in Germany, in mid-July.
Linked to Durham Amateur Rowing Club, the Serpents, the oldest dragon boat club in the country, were named the most improved team by the British Dragon Boat Association in 2023.
The club’s two boats, each with a crew of 20, led by a drummer reinforcing the rhythm and with a specialist at the helm, can regularly be seen in practice on the River Wear in Durham competing against each other.
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Additionally, they are all locked into personal training regimes to meet the high level of fitness demanded by national coaches.
“To have five club members in the national squad is a tremendous honour and a clear reflection of the continuing rise in standards and achievements of everyone involved in Durham,” said Mr Roe.
The world championships are being staged in the north-east German state of Brandenburg, from July 16 to 20.
