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The British Rowing Junior and Senior Club Championships offer clubs a prime opportunity to finish off the year by adding more trophies to their collection. For junior crews, this event serves as a platform to redeem themselves if they felt hard done by at the National Schools’ Regatta. Those who clinched gold there, have another shot at victory. With Great Marlow School, the first-place finishers from the National Schools’ absent, it might seem that runners-up, Marlow Rowing Club, would easily claim the top spot. However, with Henley Rowing Club having a killer season on the sweeping side and other crews making progress since the May regatta, the competition is wide open.
Marlow Rowing Club
The crew narrowly missed out on victory at the National Schools’ Regatta, edged out by Great Marlow School by a mere second despite outperforming them in the time trial. This near-miss has undoubtedly fueled their determination for vengeance. Although they might be frustrated not to face their rivals again due to the latter’s absence, they are likely satisfied to be the favourites in this event. Having raced together in the quad all year, their unity and experience make them a strong and cohesive team. Their performance at the National Schools’ Regatta, where they led most of the race and only lost in the final sprint, highlights their strong base pace which is likely to be lingering in the minds of their fellow competitors. If they maintain a lead by the fifteen-hundred-meter mark, it will be tough for any competitors to catch up.
Henley Rowing Club
After an outstanding performance in the eight, where they secured gold by a commanding seven-second lead over Surbiton High School and a silver in the coxed four, Henley Rowing Club has proven their dominance in this age group’s sweeping events. However, their ambition doesn’t stop there; the Henley coaches are aiming to extend this supremacy to the sculling side as well. For this challenge, the top four athletes from their eight compose ‘Henley A,’ while the coxed four forms ‘Henley B.’ Despite their impressive track record, the sculling field is unfamiliar territory for these athletes. The question remains: will the girls of Henley rise to the occasion and maintain their winning streak, or will the lack of experience in this discipline prove to be an insurmountable challenge?
Trent Rowing Club
The fourth-place finishers at the National Schools’ Regatta demonstrated their impressive sprinting ability by edging out the fifth-place finishers by just a bow ball. This crew spent most of the two-kilometre course trailing the field but executed a decisive move at the seventeen-hundred-metre mark to secure fourth place. As the only crew representing Trent Rowing Club at the National Schools’ Regatta this year, making the A final was a significant achievement for a club without a large junior component. Their trip to Nottingham is a clear indicator that they have a strategy in place and will undoubtedly have something special prepared for the competition to slip into those medal positions.
Nottingham and Union Rowing Club
Nottingham and Union’s performance at the National Schools’ Regatta highlighted their potential despite a sixth-place finish after a strong third place in the time trial. They were less than half a second off fourth place, showing their competitive mid-race pace. With more favourable wind conditions, they could leverage their strengths to finish ahead of the field. Moreover, with three of the five crews that beat them at the National Schools’ Regatta not attending the regatta, Union has a promising opportunity to secure a medal this weekend on their home turf. Their close call previously will undoubtedly fuel their determination for success.
Prediction
This age group is very competitive, a fact that became strikingly evident in the National Schools’ Regatta video. The closeness of the races was surprising to me, especially as the camera captured the crews crossing the line. Given their top performance all season, it’s hard to look past a Marlow victory this weekend. However, with the looming threat of the Henley crews, the podium finishes could see an upset, and securing a silver medal might not come easily for Trent. Despite this, I believe Trent could still secure second place. Consequently, I predict Marlow Rowing Club to take the overall victory, Trent Rowing Club to come second, and Henley ‘A’ to complete the podium in third.
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