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Sydney Uni Rowing Announce Departure of Phil Bourguignon

Posted on: 30/10/09

Phil Bourguignon, Sydney Uni coach since January 2006 and Director of Rowing since 2007 will finish his current position in December.

Phil is intending to take up a coaching position with London Rowing Club. Phil Bourguignon began his coaching in Brisbane following a long career as a lightweight rower for Queensland. He was selected on Australian Junior teams as a coach in 2003 and 2004 as well as U23 and World uni games in 2004. In late 2004 Phil held the position of AIS Rowing Scholarship Coach and immediately after completing his Scholarship joined Sydney Uni Boat Club in January 2006. In early 2007 Phil became Director of Rowing and has continued in that role till now.

Over the past four years Phil has coached on the Australian U23 and Senior rowing teams. In 2006 he took a squad of U23 women to the Hazelwinkel and came home with gold and bronze. In 2007 Phil was appointed coach of the Men’s U23 Eight and won bronze in Scotland. 2008 saw Phil coaching again at U23 level, looking after the Women’s Double Scull and in 2009 he was appointed to coach on the Senior Team gaining fourth – again with the Women’s Double Scull.

During Phil’s tenure at Sydney Uni, the club consolidated its position as a major development club within Australian rowing. Under Phil’s guidance the club won the NSW State Championship Honours Trophy in 2006,7, 8 and 9, was the leading club on points at the 2008 and 2009 Nationals and contributed 11 of 32 athletes to the Australian Senior Team in 2009 and 6 to the U23 team.

Phil has continued and built on a tradition of a solid and well organized training system based around the university and catering to both the sporting and academic ambitions of the athletes.

Philip Bourguignon has made a major contribution to Sydney Uni Rowing. He feels now is an opportunity to travel and experience and learn from a different system.

Sydney University will announce new coaching arrangements for 2009-2010 shortly.