As the seasons begin to change and winter slowly creeps in, head season rumbles on. This month, Fours Head is in the spotlight on the Tideway, and the Women’s Championship Quad boasts an impressive set of athletes. While seven entries may seem insignificant compared to the more populous senior women’s sweep categories, rest assured that quality over quantity is the impression given by these crews. Leander brings two boats to this category, and are joined by Reading University, Upper Thames, Oxford Brookes, Cambridge University, and Leeds RC/Tideway Scullers School – all high performance clubs and universities across the board. No doubt these crews will provide us with an exhilarating race to the line.
Leander Club
No matter the event, the titanic presence of Leander resonates powerfully throughout our sport. With two entries supplied in this category, we see a mix of highly decorated familiar faces and rising stars representing this historic club. Recent 2021 Wingfield Sculls and HRR Princess Royal champion Lola Anderson joins forces with Wingfield runner-up and teammate Georgie Brayshaw in what appears to be the ‘A’ boat of the two. The colossal level of sculling ability in this crew renders them a firm favourite to take the win. However, the second Leander quad in this category must not be ruled out. 2021 HRR winners are also found in this highly skilled crew, as Harris-White and Olubodun both picked up trophies in the Princess Grace and the Wargrave respectively. Both of these crews have what it takes. Will experience win out over emerging talent on the day? We will have to wait and see.
Leeds RC/Tideway Scullers School
As composite crews go, it doesn’t get much better than this. Yorkshire GB Start standout Katie Mole of Leeds RC shares a shell with renowned and highly decorated Scullers including Katy Wilkinson-Feller. The pure power showcased on an individual basis in this crew is undeniable, so the bold decision to create this composite should not be taken lightly. While comparatively fewer training sessions mean it can go either way in a composite crew, I’d say the home advantage for 75% of this boat is still likely to give them an edge on the day. If anyone is going to give Leander ‘A’ a real race to the line, it is probably going to be these women.
Reading University
In terms of cultivating exceptional scullers who are consistently occupying top spots in university league tables, Reading seem to know the recipe for success. Perhaps considered a dark horse at first glance, given that they share a category with household names like Leander, Scullers, Upper Thames, Cambridge University, and Oxford Brookes, the sheer quality of sculling produced by Reading’s high performance coaching programme nevertheless means that these women cannot and should not be overlooked. 2021 Lightweight Double winner at HWR Lara Brittain joins this lithe yet speedy quad alongside Lauren Maddison. Whether they are able to produce a row in contention for the top spot remains uncertain, but this Reading crew will undoubtedly embody their club’s slogan of ‘purple pride’ and provide us with a masterclass in technical sculling ability.
Predictions
The clubs highlighted above only represent half of the top class sculling performances that will be displayed in this Women’s Championship Quad category. I have no doubt that Reading alumna-turned-Upper Thames sculling stalwart Lucy Ryan will join 2017 Scullers Head winner and all-round sculling sensation Meghann Jackson, along with teammates Hinton and Edmonds, in a bid to translate their recent local successes into a noteworthy national performance on the Tideway. And of course, as with every national event in the calendar, we can guarantee that the crews hailing from Oxford Brookes and Cambridge University will also bring their A game. It really is all to play for in this premium category of women’s sculling. Let the challenge begin.
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