There is perhaps no greater feat in the university winter season than conquering the infamous five kilometre stretch of the River Tyne at BUCS Head. While many may flock to Newburn Bridge to cheer on their championship crews, the intermediate boats are certainly still worth keeping our eyes on, and the women’s eights are no exception. Boasting a healthy combination of household names and newer faces fresh off the beginner circuit, this year’s cohort of women’s intermediate eights will be eager to make a statement at the national level.
Edinburgh University BC
Having swept up the competition throughout last year in the Women’s Beginner Eights, I would love to see an appearance from Edinburgh in the intermediates this year – perhaps even with some of the same athletes that took home the beginner’s gold at BUCS 2021. As regular competitors on the Tyne outside of the university rowing calendar, Edinburgh athletes may be in a slightly more advantageous position than their southern rivals, some of whom may never have competed north of Nottingham. This, combined with their high-performance programme and populous pool of talent, renders an Edinburgh podium finish all the more likely here.
Newcastle University BC
It really would be unfair to consider a women’s eights category at BUCS Head without mentioning the home favourites – Newcastle. All the Newcastle athletes will be well aware of the added pressure that comes with bearing the Blue Star at BUCS Head. Showing consistent strength in numbers throughout the women’s squad, I would not be surprised to see multiple entries from Newcastle in this category, especially with events such as WeHORR and The Boat Race of the North on the horizon. Could home advantage and historic dominance be a winning formula for this year’s Newcastle intermediate offering? I think it will likely be enough for at least one place on the podium.
Prediction
While I have focused on a couple of historically strong performers here, I’m sure we will also see the likes of Durham, Imperial, Nottingham, Exeter and many others to supply boats to this highly competitive women’s category. One thing is certain: all crews will seek to utilise their BUCS Head performance as a positive stepping stone towards standout showings in the summer. Moreover, the absence of traditional medal-winners UL and Brookes blows the competition right open for the taking. Based on the performance of their women’s eights year in year out, I could definitely see a Newcastle or an Edinburgh boat take the W on the day. That being said, dominating at BUCS Head is by no means an easy feat, and there will be no shortage of trend-disruptors looking to pick up a pennant.
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