With the future of lightweight rowing as a whole set to change forever after the Paris 2024 games, it is good to see that there is still a place for these athletes at BUCS Regatta. Although there is certainly a sparsity of events, this does not mean that any quality will be lacking. Nothing could be further from the truth. With several universities having dominated men’s lightweight rowing over the past few seasons, and the margins of victory being arguably smaller than they ever have been, the lightweight sweep events will serve as an excellent spectacle and example of quality rowing.
Men Intermediate Lightweight Pair
The pair is the smallest of the sweep rowing boats, and depending on who you ask, it can either be smooth and powerful or bumpy and unset. Because of their smaller engines in comparison to heavyweights, lightweights are often better technical rowers than their heavyweight counterparts, proving the old coaching adage “ergs don’t float”. Due to the small number of lightweight sweep events, many clubs have entered multiple boats into the category, meaning that overall victory could just as easily come from Edinburgh or Cambridge or Newcastle, or wherever.
Newcastle University Boat Club
In fairness to Newcastle, given that at the early part of this decade, they seemed to win at will and regularly provide handfuls of athletes to the national team, a decline of sorts was perhaps inevitable. With a training philosophy that relies on a great deal of mileage and little steady state, Newcastle’s season has not been spectacular but it would be incredibly disingenuous to claim that it has not been good. Second in the Mens VL at BUCS Head, two crews in the top 50 at HORR, and some good trial results from Ben Brockway and Tom Brumwell (placing first in the E final) substantiate this. In terms of their history in this event, Newcastle may not always be the first name on people’s mind when they imagine the type of club that would produce lightweight rowers (given that they are famed for producing and recruiting big men) but they do stand out as continually putting competitive boats into the field. A bronze medal at BUCS 2022, achieved by beating off Sam Wells’s resurgent Oxford crew by a second, was a fine margin of success, but it was success. With only one pair entered in this event, stroked by ex-George Watson’s rower Rory Mainland, Newcastle will hope to be on the better side of the margin of victory yet again.
Cambridge University Boat Club
Given that they famously only train for one race, casual rowing fans may be surprised at the inclusion of Cambridge as a contender in this category. Given that their women are famed for performing well and under pressure, and in the case of Imogen Grant able to win five medals without breaking a sweat, it should come as no surprise that Cambridge men are just as hungry to start a legacy of their own in men’s lightweight rowing. Previous forays into this event have been sub-optimal by light blue standards, with a lone boat finishing last in the B-final last year. This year, supercharged by another victory in the lightweight boat race, Cambridge has entered three pairs into the mix. These include two boats stroked by members of that victorious eight from either end of the boat, bow seat Thomas Heppel and stroke Lewis Gray. Cambridge may have fallen far below their own high standards last year, but given the clear strength and number of quality athletes they have this year, one would think they should have a good shot at a medal.
Edinburgh University Boat Club
Baby Blue is the colour and maintaining the VL is very much the aim at Edinburgh University Boat Club. A solid season for the club overall, with three eights in the top 100 for HORR, a feat that is even more impressive when one considers that this year’s field was the strongest it had ever been, and a BUCS Head performance to match, Edinburgh look well on their way to maintaining their high standards this weekend and into summer racing. The two Edinburgh boats entered contain three members of last year’s victorious Championship Lightweight coxless four; James Bradley, Ben Frohburg, and Aidan Matthews (who won the event comfortably last year with Frohburg at stroke) They are joined by two newcomers who have achieved much in their junior careers and who were both members of the BUCS Head winning four in February in the form of former British Junior champion Alex Dixon and former KSW sculler and Crossfit enthusiast Oliver Timlin. Either of these crews could realistically challenge for a medal, and with their success in the Head Racing season, all the signs point to it being an Edinburgh year yet again.
Prediction: Edinburgh have all the tools to retain the gold they won last year. However, given that the field has stepped on since then, challenges from the likes of Durham, Newcastle and Cambridge might indeed prove a stumbling block. Of those three, Cambridge should bring home at least some silverware, with Durham and Newcastle fighting it out for the remaining medal.
Men’s Championship Lightweight Coxless Four
Edinburgh University Boat Club
Despite the quality of their rowing in the pairs last year, the Edinburgh Lightweight four achieved a bronze medal in this event. Whilst this would have been an incredible result for a smaller boat club, it fell slightly short of what one would expect from a program with the depth of Edinburgh. Following an excellent performance at BUCS Head where they won the same event by some distance, Edinburgh will now hope that the combined efforts of seasoned rowing veteran Harry Richardson, with fellow crew members James Bradley, and Aidan Matthews (both of whom have BUCS medals from last year) and newcomer Alex Dixon. Edinburgh should medal at the very least and a bet on them to take home gold would be reasonably safe.
Oxford University Boat Club
After several years of having mediocre seasons, OUBC Lighweights have gone from strength to strength since the arrival of Sam Wells, winning three boat races on the bounce and collecting multiple medals at BUCS Regatta. Winning a silver medal to Edinburgh in this event last year will hopefully provide a springboard for this crew to go one better this year. The two crews entered are definitely not short of talent, with former Mercyhurst lightweight varsity oarsman Harrison Kieffer stroking the A boat, and former St Georges man Matthew Lees the other. Realistically, given this category has a repechage to add to the time trial, Oxford has more than a fair shot of qualifying one or both of their crews to the final. To say that a medal is assured would be a little hyperbolic, but Oxford certainly have the capabilities to give it a good try.
Cambridge University Boat Club
Standing in the way of both Edinburgh and Oxford are the men from Cambridge University Boat Club. Fresh from their victory over Oxford in the Lightweight Boat Race (which was done by a record margin of 11 seconds and also gave the Light Blues their first back-to-back win in 2018), Cambridge will want to build on that success by creating medal opportunities at BUCS, something that has alluded them for some time. Cambridge’s sole entry in the field is likely to be a strong one as it is the same boat that won Fours Head, with former Globe Rowing Club junior Gianluca Vartan at a stroke. This, coupled with the fact that Cambridge lightweight rowing seems to be on an upwards trajectory as of late, suggests that a medal of any colour could be a real possibility for the light blues.
Prediction: It’s hard to see anyone stopping Edinburgh from taking home the gold in this event, given how dominant they have been all season and that all but one member of their crew has experience bringing home medals at BUCS. The most likely challenge to Edinburgh dominance is likely to come from Cambridge or Oxford, with Durham having an outside chance of a medal.
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