Intermediate eights events are often some of the most exciting and close-raced categories, and BUCS Head will be no exception. With 32 crews taking to the Tyne this weekend, the depth of field speaks volumes for the popularity of women’s university rowing. With some usual strong contenders such as Warwick and Bristol missing from the start order, it’s all to play for.
Newcastle University Boat Club
NUBC took home the gold in this event in 2023, as well as entering a strong championship eight. We’ve seen an incredibly strong showing from the Newcastle women recently, including their ‘A’ and ‘B’ eights drawing one another in the second round of Henley Women’s Regatta, and commanding performances at BUCS Regatta and Rutherford Head more recently. I expect that BUCS will be no different, especially with two strong intermediate eights on their home water; I hope to see them post a fast run down the Tyne this weekend.
Edinburgh University Boat Club
Edinburgh is another university with an incredibly strong women’s program, one that took home the silver in this event in 2023. Like Newcastle, they also have a championship eight but have entered four boats into this category – really showing off the strength and depth of their current squad. With success in this event year after year, I imagine that EUBC will be vying to take the top spot from Northern rivals Durham and Newcastle.
Durham University Boat Club
Another club familiar with the Tyne, DUBC also has two eights entered into the category. Again with a championship boat entered, the lineup for their Inter ‘A’ boat looks to be a strong contender for the gold medal. They placed third here in 2023, and have since had strong showings at BUCS, HWR, HRR, and Rutherford in multiple boats. If it goes their way on the day, the WInt8+ title could be Palatinate Purple once again.
Bath University Boat Club
Unlike the aforementioned crews, Bath do not have an entry into the championship category, so this being their eight top sweep athletes makes it look promising for them to break into the big names as underdogs. They’ll be looking to build on their sixth place finish from last year, especially given the lack of appearance from local rival Bristol, who came out on top at their own hosted head race.
University of Birmingham Boat Club
Given Birmingham’s success in both Intermediate and Beginner categories last year, I think that this crew could be one to watch. Their beginner women were phenomenal last year, and if they’ve progressed to mix in with more experienced athletes, UBBC could be fielding a boat with real strength and depth here. Having taken fourth place in the WInter8+ category at Bristol University Head, they’ll be looking to bring their A-game to the Tyne this weekend against a field of strong crews.
Exeter University Boat Club
Having missed out on BUCS Head in 2023, Exeter are making the long journey up North with hopes of building on their fourth place achieved in 2022. This is likely to be their top women’s eight, and having made themselves known for knocking out University of London at Henley Women’s last year – going on to make the semi-finals – I’m sure that they’ll be hoping to be up there with the big names and aiming for a top-five finish.
Predictions
It’s hard to see past the powerhouses of Durham, Edinburgh, and Newcastle – each of whom will be vying for the top spot. Outside this top three, I think it’ll be a close call between Exeter and Birmingham who’ve both been going well recently, while the Newcastle ‘B’ boat and the likes of Glasgow, Liverpool, and York also aren’t out of the question for top-five finishes.
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