Given the lack of opportunities which have been available this year for many of the crews entered into the Women’s Championship Coxless Four to compete against one another, BUCS Regatta is one of the first events which will enable university crews from across the country to once more prove their mettle. The draw is packed with talented and highly experienced crews, and it will be exciting to see how the race unfolds.
Cambridge
Cambridge has entered two crews for this event, one stroked by Sophie Paine and the other by Sarah Portsmouth. Paine learnt to row at Brown University and is the current women’s president of CUBC. She was a silver medallist in the GB women’s eight at the 2019 U23 worlds and raced in the winning crew at this year’s Boat Race, in addition to racing in the crew which came second in the A final at the 2021 Met Regatta. Given Cambridge’s success at the Boat Races this year, I would imagine that both of these crews are feeling very confident for the upcoming races.
Newcastle
The Newcastle crew has also had a fairly successful past. Stroke Jen Peacock, who took silver in the beginner W1x at 2019 BUCS regatta, raced in the crew which claimed gold in the Women’s Intermediate Coxed Four and silver in the Women’s Intermediate Eight at the same event. At 2019 Met Regatta, Peacock rowed in the Women’s Eight which took first place, and this year came first in the Women’s Championship Coxless Four at Durham Regatta.
Edinburgh
Having learnt to row at Edinburgh in 2016, stroke Tara Grimsley-Moore raced in the Women’s Championship Coxless Four and Women’s Intermediate Eight at 2019 BUCS Regatta, placing third place in both events. She sat at two in the women’s first eight for the 2019 Scottish Boat Race which beat Glasgow’s crew. There isn’t much information on this crew, so we’ll have to wait and see what speed they bring to BUCS.
Durham
Sophie Chumas has had a somewhat meteoric rise through DUBC’s ranks since learning to row in 2018. Beginning her racing career in 2019, where she raced in the Women’s Beginner Eight and Beginner Four at BUCS Regatta, coming third and second respectively, she has since come third in the Women’s Eight at 2019 Met Regatta and again in the women’s first eight at BUCS Head 2020. Most recently, as vice-president of DUBC, she won the Women’s Elite Pair at the 2021 Durham Regatta, suggesting further strong performances to come.
Oxford Brookes
Brookes’ crew is also looking strong. At Henley Women’s in 2019, Simper raced in the Women’s Academic Eight which won the event for the second year running. She was also part of the crew which won the Women’s Intermediate Coxed Four and Women’s Intermediate Eight at 2019 BUCS Regatta, and rowed in the crew which beat the CUBC Blue boat in a fixture held in 2020. More recently, she raced in the winning Women’s Championship Eight and came fourth in the Women’s Coxless Four at Met Regatta 2021. Based on these credentials, the Brookes crew is certainly looking like one to watch.
London
Another young addition to ULBC’s squad, Rhiannon Morgan also boasts an impressive junior record. She raced in the 2018 Coup de la Jeunesse, took first place in the Women’s U23 Double at 2019 Ghent International Spring Regatta and again in Women’s J18 Double at 2019 Junior Sculling Regatta. At National Schools’ Regatta in 2019, Morgan came first in the Girl’s Championship Double and in 2020 came fifth at the European Junior Rowing Championships in the B final of the double. It will be interesting to see whether her aptitude for sculling will translate into a similar ability in the coxless four.
Crews from Sheffield, Birmingham, Imperial and Bath will also be competing, though there is no recent information about these crews. Though these are all impressive crews, I would imagine that we will see top performances from Oxford Brookes, Newcastle and London in particular, though Cambridge is also looking strong.
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