A WYE champion rower was left ‘oar-struck’ when he was presented with his winner’s medal by the Prime Minister just three days after the Westminster terror attack.

Boating also came before Brexit for Theresa May in the week Britain formally resigned from the EU, as she was on hand in Henley to give former Monmouth Comprehensive School pupil Sam Royston and his crew their prizes after victory in a new memorial race.

Sam, who steered his club Leander to the British men’s eights title last autumn, said: “We’d heard a whisper she might turn up, but some of the guys were going ‘no way’ after what had happened.

“Our coach had told us to rush back from finishing our race a mile downriver because a VIP was doing the honours, and just before we raced he said the PM was coming, but we weren’t all convinced.

“I thought she might do it, as Leander is on the edge of her Maidenhead constituency, but wasn’t 100%. So when we got back to the landing stage and saw her and her security guys, it was like “wow, we’re actually going to meet her”.

“Being the cox, I’m by far the smallest and I was last up, so the PM shook my hand and said “And I guess you’re the cox… well done!”

The specially struck medals for the first Peter Sutherland Memorial Race were also a nice surprise, being made out of gold and silver and being worth more than £100 each.

“I’ve won a few things in my career, but I can safely say it’s the nicest medal I’ve ever received,” he added. “The PM seemed quite relaxed and had a chat with every member of the crew, one of who she had to remind to come back and take his medal box.

“And then she chatted with guests at a post-race garden party in the grounds of Leander Club.

“­­­After the terror attacks, she said in Parliament that life must go on, and we all thought it was fantastic that she turned up when she has so much else to worry about. It was fabulous meeting her.

“Apparently she knew Peter Sutherland, who the race was named after, so it was great she could attend.”

Mr Sutherland was a captain of Leander, the world’s oldest and most successful rowing club, and also founded the neighbouring Upper Thames club, who were the opponents in the mile-long memorial race on the Thames.

“Conditions were terrible, with 30mph winds, but I held the stream and my guys coped better with the water for us to win by nearly two lengths,” said Sam.

Leander Club at the top of the Henley Royal Regatta course is the world’s oldest and most successful rowing club, with its members having won an incredible 123 Olympic medals, including five golds for Steve Redgrave.

And Sam, 24, is hoping to force his way into the reckoning for Tokyo 2020, with more opportunity for coxes now that they can steer both the men’s and women’s eight, whatever their gender.

“If my chance comes along, I’m aiming to grab it,” said the Wye-trained cox. “We recently raced Cambridge before the Boat Race on their track and I know I got the upper hand on their guy there.

“And last year I steered the GB development boat to the final of the Grand Challenge Cup at Henley, where we narrowly lost to the Dutch Olympic medal boat, so I’m ready if the opportunity comes along.”