BUCs Regatta is finally here at last and I for one am very excited to see what surprise results may be seen this year. What is no surprise to anyone though, is that once again the men’s championship coxless four looks very competitive.
Newcastle
Newcastle have entered three fours into this event which is quite the statement. I have no doubt that one of these boats will be aiming for the win although with such talent in the field I can’t see all three making the A final. Newcastle came third at BUCS Head behind Durham and Edinburgh but perhaps with a greater focus on the coxless four they might be in with a shout at topping the podium.
Edinburgh
Earlier in the season at BUCS Head, Edinburgh came second in Champ 4- behind Durham. Based on this you would expect them to make the A final but I don’t see them quite having the speed to beat some of the favourites.
Oxford
Hot off winning this year’s Boat Race I expect this Dark Blue outfit to be pacey. Although I would guess that the crew is a mixture of Blue Boat and Isis members this still is likely to be a fast unit, coached by the meticulous Sean Bowden. Oxford haven’t raced in many four-man events this year meaning that just how fast they are is difficult to predict. There is also the element of uncertainty concerning how well their speed can translate into an event that falls just under a month after The Boat Race.
Oxford Brookes
Oxford Brookes will be favourites for the win here, which comes as no surprise to anyone familiar with student racing in the UK. Following dominant performances at the Fours Head and a first, third and fifth-placed finish overall at the Head of the River in the eight, rumours that Oxford Brookes were perhaps looking vulnerable in 2022 appear to have been at least quietened. I don’t expect this crew to be as dominant as past Brookes crews have been and would not be surprised if they were heavily challenged by the likes of Oxford and Newcastle.
Durham
It was Durham who won this event as BUCS Head in February and so it’s hard to imagine a scenario where this crew aren’t competitive at the sharp end of the category. While the absence of Oxford Brookes and UL at BUCS Head means that those results must be taken with a relative pinch of salt, I would not be surprised if Durham at least came away with a medal.
University of London
UL are one of the UK’s most successful high-performance rowing programs and are under the new stewardship of Antony Smith, formerly of LEH and St Paul’s School. With a head season that combined raw speed with a little bit of regulation-related controversy, UL have spent the last few weeks working hard on training camps and so I have no doubt they will be fired up to deliver a result.
Nottingham
Nottingham are perhaps the outside threat on this roster. Surrounded by big hitters like Brookes, UL and Newcastle, their fourth-placed finish at BUCS Head sets them up for something of an upset if they can disrupt the established order and sneak onto the podium. An ‘A’ final berth seems like a reasonable expectation.
Imperial
Imperial could only come sixth at BUCS Head earlier in the season and given that was in a depleted field, it’s hard to be too bold in predicting possible outcomes for these guys. It is however worth reflecting that BUCS Head was several months ago and as such there has been plenty of time for Imperial to refine their processes and generate a little more base speed. If Imperial can secure an ‘A’ final placing, this would be a great result in my mind.
Predictions
Come the A Final, I expect Oxford Brookes to take the win ahead of Oxford and Durham. It really is difficult to predict much beyond that though, which leaves us open to the possibility of watching a BUCS classic unfold before our very eyes.
BUCS Images credit: Drew Smith
Drew Smith Photography
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