With the blue and white striped tents put away for another year, the last big calendar event of the season is now upon us. The first combined Junior & Senior British Championships run by British Rowing will see hundreds of rowers take to the water at Holme Pierrepont this weekend, including 30 scullers who will battle out for the title of women’s club singles champion.
Rebekah Court – Bath University Boat Club
After a recent illness and being knocked out by the eventual winners of the Stonor Challenge Trophy at Henley, I’m sure that Bath University’s Court will be back with a vengeance this weekend. The last time we saw her race this course was to finish fourth at BUCS Regatta in the intermediate singles, so again I’m sure she’ll be looking to improve and make the medals this time around, so I hope to see a gutsy performance this weekend.
Caitlin Armstrong – City of Oxford Rowing Club
With wins at Henley Women’s and Henley Masters Regattas, as well as A-final finishes both days of the Metropolitan Regatta, can Caitlin Armstrong be stopped? Having enjoyed an incredible last few months, we now see her race here at the British Championships in a slightly different field, but I think an A-final finish is almost certainly on the cards once again for this Oxfordshire-based sculler. With her extensive recent experience of side-by-side racing in the single, especially over the last few months, I think she stands in good stead to be medaling in Nottingham this weekend.
Ellie Dash – Hartpury University
Ellie Dash is another athlete who we’ve seen around the circuit recently, including most recently picking up a win in one of the most over-subscribed events at Henley Women’s Regatta: The Rosie Maygothling Trophy for aspirational doubles. When not racing with doubles partner Chloe Gardner, the Veterinary Nursing student also recently collected a silver medal in the intermediate singles at BUCS Regatta, as well as gold at the British Rowing Indoor Championships for the U23 women’s 2k event.
Aoife Keane – London Rowing Club
This event really appears to be stacked with Henley Women’s Regatta winners, with Aoife Keane having come out on top in the aspirational singles in 2023 for Imperial College, London. Following on from this, Keane also picked up a second-place finish in the senior women’s category at Scullers Head but had been seemingly absent from the single sculling scene until England Rowing’s HIRR Trials last weekend. Keane produced an impressive third-placed finish here, just 1.8 seconds behind winner Jen Titterington.
Pippa Biggs – Martlet Club
Another name from the A-final of the championship singles finals at the Metropolitan Regatta, Pippa Biggs has really made a name for herself – and Martlet Club – on the single sculling scene this year. Guided by former LEH head coach, Jono Cheeseman, we’ve really seen Biggs step on throughout the season. From finishing sixth in the senior category at Scullers Head, to making the quarter-finals of the aspirational single at Henley Women’s Regatta, I’d really like to see this sculler push for her place in the A-final at the British Championships this weekend to finish off her successful season in style.
Jen Titterington – Nottingham Rowing Club
A name that we’re used to seeing on the club single sculling scene, Jen Titterington looks to continue her successful season here after taking the win at England Rowing’s HIRR trials last weekend. After making the quarter-finals of the championship singles at Henley Women’s Regatta, and clinching a qualification spot for the Princess Royal Challenge Cup at Henley Royal REgatta, we’ve seen what Titterington can do, and I certainly think that a British Championships medal could be on the cards for her this weekend too.
Predictions
The top end of this field is likely to be very tight, but I think we can expect to see a hard-fought battle between Armstrong of City of Oxford, Titterington of Nottingham and Keane of London RC for the top spot. I’d like to see Dash of Hartpury make a challenge for the medals here too, but think that more time spent in the double recently may set her back compared to the field of seasoned scullers she faces with slightly more experience.
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