One of the last races of the weekend, the women’s championship double sculls is always an exciting finale to the BUCS programme. This field is stacked with various international vests and looks set to be a tightly contested event.
Reading
Defending champions Reading have to be favourites in this event. Ellie Cooke and Finnola Stratton stormed to victory in 2023, winning by six seconds. The crew went on to have an impressive season, finishing second at the Metropolitan Regatta, making the semi-finals of Henley Women’s Regatta and qualifying for Henley Royal Regatta. Both were part of U23 crews later in the summer; Cooke racing in the women’s quad at the world championships and Stratton in the single at Europeans. This year they have continued to go from strength to strength, impressing individually in various trials and picking up gold together in the quad at BUCS Head. Stratton has recently been injured so it remains to be seen whether she will race this weekend. Should she not be able to then expect an extremely capable substitute in the form of Zara Povey. Povey is part of Reading’s championship quad and has impressed all season, recently placing as the fourth-fastest U23 at trials.
Durham
Victor Ludorum winners in 2023, Durham picked up a silver medal in this event last year. The crew is likely to remain the same: Anna Grace and Issy Sellers. Grace is predominantly a sweeper and was part of the U23 women’s eight that raced at the world championships last year; she does however have previous sculling honours, racing in the U23 women’s quad at Europeans in 2022. Sellers has been a hugely successful lightweight, winning last year’s BUCS championship lightweight gold, a Henley Women’s trophy and featuring in the U23 women’s lightweight double at the world championships. This year she has transitioned to openweight and looks to be holding her own. This double will be fiercely competitive and will want to close the gap on Reading.
Bath
Perhaps the dark horses of this event, Bath are a crew to look out for. Fresher Ella Fullman has impressed all season. As a junior she was part of Wycliffe’s impressive sculling set up, winning bronze at the U19 Europeans amongst other achievements. She has continued to go from strength to strength at Bath, training with their World Class Start Centre and producing strong performances at trials all year. She will partner Rebekah Court, an up-and-coming Start athlete. Court had a multitude of successes at an intermediate level last season, winning the intermediate women’s double at BUCS Regatta, making the final of the aspirational quad at Henley Women’s Regatta and racing for England at Home International. Both Fullman and Court were part of a dominant quad that won intermediate gold at BUCS Head in February. It remains to be seen if they can replicate this at Championship level, but this weekend will be an exciting challenge for the crew and if they get it right they can certainly be in the mix for minor medals.
Edinburgh University and Newcastle University
Edinburgh and Newcastle look to be two extremely well-matched crews. Both feature a GB U23 from last season and these universities are more often than not in the top three in BUCS crew boat sculling events. Edinburgh are returning bronze medalists. Hannah Supple, a member of the U23 women’s quad last season, remains in the crew and is joined by Charley Faint, an ever-improving sculler who recently placing as the eight-fastest U23 at April Trials. Supple’s teammate in last year’s U23 quad faces off against her for Newcastle. Rachel Bradley continues to show impressive speed, recently placing as the second-fastest U23 at trials. Her partner, Lucy Webber, is more of an unknown. The youngster has however already helped Newcastle to second place at BUCS Head this season and has clearly earned her seat in this boat. Both these crews come from impressive programmes with a history of BUCS success so they certainly cannot be underestimated.
Cambridge, Nottingham and Birmingham
Cambridge, Nottingham and Birmingham make up the remainder of this tough draw. Cambridge have two crews featuring multiple Boat Race winners. These include Gemma King, who has a bucket full of BUCS medals as both an openweight and a lightweight across sweeping and sculling. Nottingham’s crew will contains some powerful Start athletes; Ella Bardsley-Taylor is a former GB junior sculler and Poppy Baker has produced some strong performances in the single this year. If Katie Mole races in Birmingham’s boat, it makes this crew an exciting prospect. Mole raced for the development GB team last season, winning Holland Beker and narrowly losing to the Canadian senior team double at Henley Royal Rgatta. She has the experience in this boat class to make an impact this weekend.
Predictions
It is hard to see past an in-form Reading crew taking victory this weekend. Whichever line up they send I expect it to take top spot, such is the current form of the Reading sculling squad. Behind them silver and bronze look all to play for and I expect it to be tight to just make it to the A-final. Durham to take second and Edinburgh to just take third.
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