As we usher in a new year, clubs across the country will be chalking up their game plans to prepare for a successful rowing year. But who should we earmark as crews and clubs to keep a beady eye on? Whilst all clubs will undoubtedly be making every effort to achieve their goals, here are some names that we should expect to achieve records in some shape or form.
Molesey Boat Club
Molesey is a well-established and richly decorated rowing club that pushes the envelope for women’s rowing year after year. The summer of 2024 was a boon for the black death, with athletes representing the club on home and international waters. Five crews reached the semifinals at Henley Women’s Regatta, culminating in second-placed positions for the championship coxless four and the lightweight championship double. Strong results also poured in from their Henley Royal Regatta campaign with their quad making Saturday’s racing. Like the quad, the coxless four reached the final but also fell prey to fierce competition from Canada. Internationally, Molesey was well represented on all fronts with rowers from the club competing in the Olympic and Paralympic Games, as well as the U23 and U19 World Rowing Championships
In recent times, MBC inaugurated this season with a solid performance at the Head of the Charles, finishing fifth in the women’s championship eights. As this season progresses, MBC has clear aspirations, which hopefully manifest into podium places.
Thames Rowing Club
Naturally, a crews-to-watch list couldn’t be completed without mentioning one of the country’s best amateur rowing clubs, Thames. Casting our minds back to last summer’s Henley Royal Regatta, the Thames women made history by emerging victorious in The Wargrave Challenge Cup for the third year in a row. This hattrick of wins goes to show the sheer strength of this club and their unparalleled position at the top of the club tree.
Placing four eights ahead of all-comers at the Remenham Challenge in December indicates that their reign of superiority is some way from ending. With the Women’s Head of the River on the horizon, a repeat of 2024’s results wouldn’t be beyond speculation. An improvement on this would be to claim the club pennant once again and also take the headship. A tall order when we account for entries from powerhouses like Brookes and Leander, but Thames are ones to rise to any occasion.
Nottingham Rowing Club
Arguably one of the strongest rowing clubs outside of London, Nottingham RC has made its way onto this list of clubs to watch. They have a formidable squad of women who have garnered some fantastic results over previous years. With Olympians Matt Haywood (quad) and Annie Campbell-Orde (eight), the latter of whom claimed bronze at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games, NRC have garnered a great deal of respect in the last couple of decades as an acutely effective high-performance centre.
The women’s squad has access to a fantastic team of coaches led by programme lead Dez Atkins, who has led squads to victory at events including the Head of the River and Henley Women’s Regatta. Alongside the affiliated Performance Development Academy, the team have laid an excellent foundation and now the time is ripe for this group of athletes to seize the moment. Having entered seven crews into Henley Women’s Regatta – and achieving a composite victory in the championship quad category with PDA athlete Poppy Baker – 2025 will need to be stellar to top those achievements.
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