The Women’s Open Eight is the pinnacle event for elite women at Head of the Yarra, and this year, it really could come down to the coxswain’s race. With at least half the Australian Women’s Olympic roster, and 28 Australian Senior and Underage representatives racing for the title, this is a crown no one is going to be giving up on easily.
Melbourne University Boat Club
On their home river, it’s no surprise the current holders, MUBC, are boating an all-star eight. Four Olympians and four Australian representatives at various levels put the crew in a strong position. That, alongside their hometown advantage, makes them hard to ignore. Led by Tokyo Olympic gold medallist and dual Olympian Lucy Stephan, who will be supported in the stern pair by Tokyo silver medallist for New Zealand, Emma Dyke, and further backed up by fellow Olympian Amanda Bateman, this crew certainly has no shortage of Olympic rings. Undoubtedly, they have both the experience and power to succeed. Eliza Gaffney was part of the 2024 Paris Olympic Games sweep squad and a bronze medallist in the four at the 2022 U23 World Rowing Championships. Jean Mitchell appeared in the Paris women’s four, and Laura Foley represented Australia at this year’s World Rowing Cup I. Finally, the impressive crew is capped off by U23 women’s double representative Romy Cantwell, alongside Zara Lavery who represented Australia as part of the 2023 Trans-Tasman U21 sweep team. With a lifetime’s worth of achievements between them, this crew will no doubt be making some of their competitors nervous on Saturday morning.
Mercantile Rowing Club / Swan River Rowing Club
Mercantile will be just as eager to top the podium on their home waters, so much so they have enlisted some help from Swan River’s Jacqui Swick to support her Paris Olympic teammates and Mercantile originals: coxswain Hayley Verbunt and stroke seat Paige Barr. At the U23 level, the crew will be able to match their hometown rivals with the inclusion of pocket-rocket Emmie Frederico who returned to Australia from Syracuse University a world champion in the U23 coxed four. Anna Morrison will be adding her power too, after appearing at the World University Championships in the women’s four. So, evidently, this composite crew is full of powerhouse athletes who have been main features at domestic regattas across the U23 and senior level, which could give them the edge they need to conquer their neighbours from Melbourne.
Sydney Rowing Club
The Sydney Open Women’s Eight entries are yet again packed with recognisable names, a true testament to the depth of women’s rowing interstate. They boast four U23 medalists in the coxed and coxless fours, and three U21 and U19 Australian representatives. Not only that, leading them down the course will be the expertise of Hannah Cowap, recently returned coxswain of the PR3 coxed four, who has made regular appearances in the U23 Australian Team roster in recent years. Reigning World U23 lightweight women’s scull champion Grace Sypher will give the crew both an admirable amount of power for her size, and technical support from the bow seat, sandwiching the boat-ends with two-time U23 medalist Isabella Scammell in the stroke seat. After falling short of first place at last year’s regatta, there is no doubt the Sydney crew will be eager to reclaim the Yarra title from Melbourne. Despite their experience, they’ll need the competence from Cowap to keep their course as short as possible and give them the best chance at overcoming the hometown heroes.
Sydney University Boat Club
This entry from Sydney University is the boat club’s first since their women clinched gold in the B grade eight in 2019, although many of that crew are returning, and with many more achievements than the last time they raced the 8K upstream. Jaime Ford returns after representing Australia at the U21 and U23 level, as well as rowing the reserve senior pair at the 2023 World Championships, and completing a stint in Leander Club’s 2024 Remenham Eight. Emily Sheppard joined Ford at Leander in the Town Four after representing Australia at World Rowing Cup I and at Head of the Shanghai. Alongside her at World Cup 1 was Eleanor Price, who last raced this regatta for Melbourne University but has since made the move up the coast, and will undoubtedly be looking for bragging rights over some of her former Victorian teammates. They are supported in the bow by Taylor Caudle, champion in the Island Challenge Cup at Henley Royal Regatta for Oxford Brookes. She will round out the crew with her experience and success in eights racing. Australian U21 representative coxswain Elizabeth Bolster will be returning to the Yarra not unprepared after coxing her 2023 Australian Boat Race crew to victory (although in the opposite direction to Saturday’s race). After a serious drought in appearances at Yarra, and a number of ongoing rivalries with both Melbourne and Sydney, the predominantly student-led eight will certainly be eager to get their hands on the medal at Hawthorn.
Prediction
Melbourne University have the hometown advantage and an undeniable upper hand in experience, power, and technique simply by possessing the most combined years of elite rowing. Despite this, the breadth and depth of achievement across other entries is phenomenal, and a great sign for elite women’s rowing domestically. In terms of results, it could come right down to the line. The respective coxswains of each boat will have to be seriously locked in to make it happen for their crew.
It will be hard to look past Melbourne for the medal. However, on paper, it should shape up to be a tight battle between Mercantile/Swan River, Sydney and Sydney University for the minor placings. Bolster and Cowap will have to secure successful turns around big bend to guarantee an advantage for their crews, and after Cowap came out victorious from the pair’s last showdown at the 2024 Gold Cup, her boat-handling skills could be exactly what Sydney needs to hold off the head racing experience and power inside the Sydney Uni boat. However, the crews from New South Wales could have the power needed to hold off the composite boat. Furthermore, Hayley Verbunt could be Mercantile/Swan River’s secret weapon in this case, with her day-in-day-out knowledge of the Yarra potentially lending her the upper hand.
Should any of Verbunt, Cowap, and Bolster get the perfect line on the day, combined with their crew’s experience and ability, it could be enough to undo Melbourne’s otherwise wrapped-up win.
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