YORK City Rowing Club junior Charlie MacMahon is to compete for England in Saturday's Home International Regatta in Cardiff.

MacMahon, who only joined the York club in 2014, was selected to represent his country after winning a shock bronze medal in the single scull event at the British Junior Rowing Championships last weekend.

He said: “I’m absolutely delighted and honoured to be selected to race for England.

“A year ago I’d never have imagined I’d be competing in the Home International Regatta. I want to say a very big thank you to everyone who’s supported me – my family, my fellow crew members in the quad, all my friends at York City Rowing Club, and especially all the coaches there.

"I love rowing for my club, and I’m so excited to be given the opportunity to row for England. Now I have to make York proud.”

MacMahon has been concentrating efforts this year on York City's junior quadruple sculling boat, which competed at the prestigious Henley Royal Regatta at the end of June.

He switched to the single scull for the British Junior Championships, though, and his extra work in that discipline paid off.

He initially placed ninth overall in Saturday's time trial, which gained him a place in the semi-finals the following morning. He came second in his semi-final, and in the final he raced to a plan which saw him in fifth place at half-way, before pushing hard to come through the field and bag a podium place and his first medal at national level.

The British Junior Championships are used as a trial for the Home International Regatta, which in the past has featured the likes of Olympic legends Sir Steve Redgrave and Katherine Grainger CBE.