With very few races going ahead in the last year and even fewer clubs attending those races, it’s hard to work out which crews will be the ones to watch for BUCS this year. Despite the struggles that have been felt in the rowing community during this time, it is absolutely fantastic to see 35 entrants in this year’s Women’s Intermediate Quad, all ready to give it their all as they go down the BUCS course this June.
Reading & Newcastle
Whilst it may seem overwhelming to try and discern who to watch in particular during this year’s racing, looking at results from past BUCS Regattas may be the best guiding light and there seem to be a bit of a recurring pattern. For the last two years it is clear that Reading University and Newcastle University have somewhat of a penchant for this event. In 2019, both universities secured a top three finish in the A final, with Newcastle taking gold and Reading taking silver.
Their wins in this event were hardly surprising and actually felt somewhat familiar as at BUCS Regatta in 2018, we saw both crews place in the top three once more with Newcastle taking silver and Reading taking bronze. The pattern is undeniable and truly is testament to the incredible sculling programmes at both universities. If this familiar pattern repeats once more, there is a high chance we could see both Newcastle and Reading being incredibly strong contenders in this year’s racing resulting in the tradition of both universities placing in the top three crews continuing. However, the more interesting question is whether Newcastle will continue to pip Reading in the finals and place just ahead of them once again. Either way, it’s worth keeping an eye on both of these crews as their high-quality sculling will prove good entertainment regardless.
Queen’s
Alongside Reading and Newcastle, Queen’s University could also be worth a watch. With not many university crews racing at Marlow Regatta, it made their racing all the more noticeable as they secured third in the B final. As the third fastest non-composite university crew racing at Marlow in this event, it hints at a good outcome for them in the fast-approaching BUCS Regatta 2021.
Surrey
Much like Queen’s, Surrey University also pulled out a promising performance at Marlow Regatta. Finishing just before Queen’s, Surrey came in at second in the B final of the Women’s Quad. The solid racing done by Surrey at Marlow Regatta bodes well for the Women’s Intermediate Quad at BUCS, making Surrey another crew to watch.
Overall, this looks as though it will be an exciting race that promises good racing and potentially close finishes between familiar crews.
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