Photo Credit: Rowing NSW
The Women’s B Grade Eight entries at Head of the Yarra this year are full of familiar and accomplished faces, setting the tone for what could be an incredibly close and exciting race. Olympians, underage representatives, and international talents will come together to lay it down on Saturday morning.
UTS
For an entry into the B grade eight, UTS will tap up to the start line on Saturday morning with a star-studded boat. It goes without saying the crew is seriously front-loaded, with Olympians Laura Gourley and Georgie Rowe sitting in stern four, returning to their home club for the first time since Paris. Notwithstanding her extensive experience internationally and domestically sculling, Gourley has proven her ability to sweep on numerous occasions and will undoubtedly back Rowe up. Sarah Fahd will also provide her skill to the boat, returning to sweep after the domestic season culminated in her inclusion in the Australian U23 women’s quad in St. Catharines, Canada. Recent University of Texas signee Leila Gaston will step into the crew for her first club season since graduating high school, continuing her career at UTS after a successful schoolgirl career at St Catherines. What she may lack in comparative years of experience, she will make up in grit, having taken home multiple titles at this year’s national championships and competing at Henley Royal Regatta for STC. The crew will be confident in their path up the river, led by another St Catherine’s graduate, national champion, and Henley Royal Regatta competitor Sophie Castellas.
University of Queensland
The crew from the University of Queensland should prove intense competition on the Yarra this year. Lucy Hope has been a stalwart feature of UQ’s top squads in recent years, representing Australia at the World Beach Sprint Championships in 2023, and appearing at Rowing Australia’s U23 trials in the pair for three consecutive years. Alice Ready and Tylah Hutton will undoubtedly bolster the crew’s chances of success, with both athletes appearing in this year’s U21 Trans-Tasman women’s sweep squad. Elly Ready will add experience and power to the crew after appearing alongside Hope in the silver medal U23 Coxless Four at this year’s national championships.
Sydney
One of four women’s eights entered by Sydney Rowing Club at this year’s regatta, the depth of the Sydney program is proving to be a force, with this entry featuring the names of some very experienced and capable underage and international athletes. Lisel Page will be racing against her Australian U23 women’s quad crew-mate from UTS, backed up by a crew of experienced imports from Great Britain. Lia Dardis Green joins the crew after appearing for England in the Home International Regatta, Hannah Keating won the Aspirational Club Eight at Henley Women’s Regatta in 2023 for Thames Rowing Club, and Amelia Pillar joins the crew as a two-time Henley Women’s Regatta champion, and winner of the inaugural junior women’s eight at Henley Royal Regatta for Headington in 2021. This boat has an inarguable wealth of experience, power, and sweep skill, making them a compelling contender for the medal.
Predictions
Despite not being the main event for open women at this year’s Head of the Yarra, the clubs entered certainly mean business. This year, immeasurable experience and talent are on the start line for the B grade eight. The University of Queensland boat will lay down a strong challenge, but the inclusion of two Olympians, along with Henley Royal Regatta competitors and an U23 representative makes for an impressive boat from UTS, certainly enough to topple the Queenslanders and fight for the medal. It’s likely that Sydney’s combined racing experience, particularly in the eight, will be the secret weapon they need to hold off the university crews and secure the podium at Hawthorn.
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