After 75 initial entries made initially, the event organisers were forced to limit the entries, such was the popularity of this event. The confirmed entry list of 61 crews from 39 institutions will contain a wide range of athletes, from those who may be looking towards national team selection next season all the way down to smaller programmes who may only have a few athletes to boat at this regatta.
Queen’s University, Belfast BC
The defending champions in this event, Queen’s University, Belfast are making the trip across the Irish Sea with two boats entered. The pairing that won the event last year have moved up to compete in the Men’s Championship Double, but the institution has a fine sculling pedigree and with the plethora of quality lightweights in the boathouse the crew will be technically sound. They would not make the long journey if they didn’t have faith in their athletes and the three doubles racing are drawn from the top end of their squad.
Bath University BC
Another team which performed well in this event last year, Bath University, had four boats initially listed and both of the two remaining are worth looking out for. The ‘B’ crew (as listed on BUCS Play) includes Ben Furley, one half of the Bath double that placed fourth in this event and the highest-ranking rower to return this year. He is joined by Jack Norton a young and talented lightweight trialist who attended both open trials this winter.
The crew that is ranked above them with the ‘A’ designation at the time of writing also includes an exciting crew. Angus Pollock’s run at the GB team this year was interrupted by injury, but he is a talented oarsman and joined by Joe Stobbs who joined Pollock in their quad which made it to Saturday in the Prince of Wales Challenge Cup in 2021.
Either one of these crews will be hoping to challenge at the top end of this event and with the racing resumes they have developed they have the talent to achieve those goals.
Strathclyde University BC
The highest-ranking boat to return in its entirety last year’s event is the Strathclyde University pairing of Xander Beeson and Matthew Hughson. This crew finished in the top spot of the B Final twelve months ago, a feat they replicated in the Men’s Intermediate Pair too. This crew rows out of Glasgow University BC and have access to the professional coaching there and will be looking to improve on their result from the last time out, and with a larger focus on sculling than they had in their previous season, they could be able to achieve that goal.
Reading University BC
A sculling focused centre, Reading University’s five boats entered in this event was the most of any single institution. So being limited to two boats will lead to a significant concentration of talent. They also have two boats racing in the Men’s Championship Double event, so this will not come from the top of their extensive men’s sculling quad but they have significant strength in depth. At Fours Head they did well with the second boat winning the Academic Quadruple Sculls and at BUCS Head, the second and third quads that these boats will likely be drawing from placed first and third in the Men’s Intermediate Quad, demonstrating supreme skill in sculling boats from the men from Reading.
Oxford Brookes University BC
Never a name that can be ignored on an entry list, Oxford Brookes University have two crews entered into this event, largely drawn from the lower ends of their squad. Nonetheless, they still have a wealth of talent down in Wallingford and discounting them comes with significant peril. These athletes will be wanting to make a good showing for themselves and move up the rankings for the bigger boats as they come into the full swing of summer.
Predictions
With such a massive entry into this event there is bound to be crews that have been unfairly overlooked. Doubles from Edinburgh University, Loughborough University, Surrey University, the University of the West of England and many more are all very capable of challenging at the pointy end of this event.
My best guess of a potential outcome would be the ‘A’ crew from Bath University taking the win over a Reading University, and while at least one of these institutions may have a second crew in the top final pushing hard, I’ll back the boys from Strathclyde University to round out the podium.
BUCS Images credit: Drew Smith
Drew Smith Photography
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