This Preview was written prior to the cancellation of Sunday’s racing.
This season’s cohort of novice rowers will be heading to the Tyne, eager for their first taste of national-level racing. BUCS Head is one of the few events with a category dedicated for novice rowers, so this will be a great opportunity to see which programmes are spending time developing new talent. This preview will focus on the beginner eights, fours and quads.
Open Beginner Eights
The famous Thames-based club, Imperial College London Boat Club, has long featured at the top of BUCS beginner events. At last year’s BUCS Head, the club finished third in the Open Beginner eight, missing out on the win by nine seconds. The crew is in very good hands on the Thames, led by Head of Rowing, Peter Hardcastle, who brings a wealth of knowledge to the club’s beginners. If this boat can find its groove this weekend, they’ll have a strong chance of winning.
Posing a challenge to Imperial’s ambitions is the University of Surrey Boat Club. The club is no stranger to triumphs at BUCS. Last year, they were second in this same event, missing out on the win by five and a half seconds. Further, Surrey placed second in this category at BUCS Regatta in 2024. This club has a history of being at the top of the novice rowing, and under the guidance of Head Coach Sam Tuck – the possibilities for these crews will be endless, and they’ll be out for gold this weekend.
Open Beginner Coxed Fours
Highlighting the excellence of these two clubs’ beginner programs, the top seeds for the Open Beginner coxed four are once again the University of Surrey Boat Club and Imperial Boat Club. Surrey will be looking to repeat last year’s win, where they were three seconds clear of their closest competition, yet again, Imperial. Surrey has had the clear upper hand in the past; however, it was at BUCS Regatta last year that they dominated the Open Beginner coxed four, defeating the likes of Edinburgh University Boat Club in the process.
While these two entries are seemingly the favourites to win this year, Durham University Boat Club will also be worth watching. The crew, led by Elliot Gray and coached by Holly Young, hopes to improve their already impressive fifth-place finish from last year. This crew, whilst perhaps not as regarded as those from Surrey and Imperial, brings the ever-impressive Durham finesse that other clubs can’t seem to replicate. Considering that, the Open Beginner coxed four could be anyone’s game this weekend.
Open Beginner Quads
One of this year’s most notable entries in the Open Beginner Quad is the University of Strathclyde Boat Club. The Clyde-based club has established itself as one of the strongest beginner programs north of the border and will be looking to take its success to the Tyne this weekend. Last year, they were third in the Open Beginner quad at BUCS Regatta. They hope to keep the upward trajectory going right to the gold this weekend.
Queen’s University Belfast Boat Club has performed well at BUCS events in the last few years. Last year, they won the BUCS regatta in the Open Beginner quad and achieved third place in last year’s BUCS Head in the Open Beginner quad. The crew from over the Irish Sea will be hoping that they can clinch the victory they barely missed out on last year.
The University of Birmingham Boat Club crew will also be in contention for the win this year. Coming off of a strong season, the club will look to improve its showing at last year’s impressive BUCS endeavour. Last year, the club came second in the Open Beginner quad at BUCS Head and was only four seconds off the win. The club’s development formula is impressive, and it is sure to be in contention this weekend.
Predictions
In these categories, it is difficult to single out who I believe to have the best shot at the gold. However, I believe that in the Open Beginner eight, we will see Surrey University Boat Club inch out Imperial College Boat Club for the gold and have wins from Imperial and Birmingham University Boat Club in the Open Beginner coxed four and quad, respectively. These three events will be a great display of our nation’s most promising future rowers and will certainly be worth watching play out on the Tyne this weekend.
About The Author
Discover more from JRN
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
