OLYMPIC superstar Sir Steve Redgrave has invited a Wye school rowing club to celebrate its 150th anniversary next year with a celebratory row past at the prestigious Henley Royal Regatta.

Sir Steve, the chairman of the world’s most famous open rowing event, personally wrote to Monmouth School Rowing Club to invite them to mark their huge milestone next July.

Monmouth School’s rowers are starting their anniversary academic year with an epic row along the length of Loch Ness this Saturday, in tribute to a 13-year-old crew mate who passed away earlier this year.

And it’s not the only Wye school rowing club to receive a congratulatory letter, with Monmouth Comprehensive School – one of just a handful of state schools to row – also receiving a message from Welsh Minister of Education, Kirsty Williams, congratulating their boys’ boat for qualifying for this year’s Royal Regatta, where they beat a top Australian school.

In his letter to Monmouth School RC, Sir Steve said: “The Stewards of the regatta are pleased to allow your club the opportunity to celebrate your anniversary at Henley Royal Regatta in 2019 on Saturday, July 6.”

Monmouth School for Boys rowing master John Griffiths, who rowed alongside Sir Steve as a member of the GB team back in the 1980s, said he was “delighted” to find the letter from the Olympic legend when he returned to school last week.

He said the plan now was for the 1969 school crew, who raced at Henley 50 years ago next year, to reunite for their own anniversary and the row past, which will take place as the Royal Regatta celebrates its 180th anniversary.

The crew has held several reunions at recent Monmouth regattas, and includes the likes of 1980 Olympic medallist Charlie Wiggin and Oxford Boat Race Blue Paul Marsden, while their coach, former Wales rowing chief John Hartland, still lives in Monmouth, aged 81.

World medallist Old Monmothian Robin Williams, who coached the GB women’s pair to Olympic gold at the London 2012 and Rio 2016 Olympics, said it was “a great show” for the school to get a row past slot on the prestigious Saturday semi-finals day, when some 100,000 people flock to the banks of the River Thames.

John Griffiths said he hoped for an “outstanding year” to mark the founding of the school club in 1869, starting this Saturday, September 15, when a squad of U16s will be trying to row the full 23-mile length of Loch Ness as part of the Monster the Loch race.

They will be raising funds for Cancer Research Wales charity and a new boat, to be named named after cox Tom Walker, who sadly passed away this summer.

Crew member Angus Whitehead, who lives in Monmouth, will be following in the wake of his father, Adrian Whitehead, who set the course record for rowing Loch Ness in 1976.

Meanwhile, Monmouth Comprehensive School was delighted to receive a letter from Kirsty Williams about their Henley success, saying: “I would like to send my congratulations to all of the people involved, particularly Sam Morgan, Tom Brice, Louis Proctor and Tom Smith and their coach Dan Cowton; this is a huge achievement for them and the school and one which should be celebrated.

“I’m fully aware that events like this could not be entered without the hard work and time that is undertaken by parent helpers and teachers who volunteer their time and which has a huge impact on ensuring the rowers reach their full potential.”

Alumni from the state school include GB world medallist Mark Patrtridge, his brother Mike, who is head of development for Queensland Rowing in Australia, Henley winner Nigel Atkins, British senior champions Tom Penny and Louis Paterson and European junior medallist Emily Richards.