GBRT’s February Trials have rolled around once again. On Saturday, we’ll see some of the best pairs in the country, many of which are formed from the unbelievably talented current Caversham squad, do battle over the 5km course in Boston, Lincolnshire. It’s always exciting to see the country’s top athletes race, and these trials are no exception, pitting current squad members against Caversham hopefuls in a gruelling test of strength, skill and endurance.
This year is particularly stacked across the board, reflective of the depth of talent both at Caversham and just outside the squad, hoping to get a look in. This preview will focus on who I believe will make up the top few pairs at the trial, but with the pair as fickle a boat class as it is, there’ll be ample opportunity for lower ranked pairs to break into the top few spots.
Ollie Wynne Griffith & Tom George (Leander Club / Cambridge University BC)
Wynne-Griffith and George are arguably the best talents in the country currently. Bronze medallists from the eight from the Tokyo Olympics, two of the most experienced international athletes in the field and the British pair from last season (with a World Championships Bronze, a European Championships Silver and two World Cup Golds to their name), this unit will surely be the favourites here.
They should be aiming for a convincing win, too, if they want to keep their position as the men’s pair looking ahead towards the summer racing. It’s great to see them racing as both Leander and Cambridge, here, testament to the respect and affection they have for the Cambridge programme that they were both a part of last year, and their coach, Rob Baker, who after coaching them in the Cambridge Blue Boat continued to coach them in the pair all summer.
Individually, they’re both fantastic talents, but George particularly is fast approaching iconic status in the sport, with a world record in the 5km erg. Expect a win from these guys – anything less would be an upset.
James Rudkin & Sholto Carnegie (Newcastle University BC & Leander Club)
Rudkin and Carnegie are two of the most experienced and decorated athletes at Caversham right now, with both having been on the senior squad for a few years. Rudkin was part of the Tokyo Men’s Eight that won bronze, while Carnegie was in the Men’s Four that came fourth (but that picked up World and European medals throughout the Olympiad).
Last season, Rudkin and Carnegie were both part of the eight, in the seven and four seats respectively, that went unbeaten through the summer, picking up wins in two World Cups, Henley, the European Championships, and, of course, the World Championships. The success of the boat, alongside the rest of the sweep squad, is reflective of the sheer depth of talent at Caversham at the moment.
As some of the most experienced guys, Rudkin and Carnegie will want to put down a good marker here and make sure that they get off on the right foot for the trialling ahead.
David Bewicke-Copley & Morgan Bolding (Oxford Brookes University BC)
This is an exciting combination that will be looking to show some serious speed. Both athletes from the incredibly successful Men’s Eight from 2022, these athletes will recognise the importance of establishing themselves as consistent top performers on the squad to ensure they win their seats again.
Bolding has been in and around Caversham for a few years, but really hit his stride last year, and has made a name for himself as one of the most relentless and ferocious racers on the team. Bewicke-Copley is part of the young generation of ‘Project Paris’ athletes that spent a year at Oxford Brookes after graduating university during COVID (Bewicke-Copley attended Princeton University for his undergrad, where he was captain in his last year). Since getting to Caversham, he’s gone from strength to strength, and he’ll be looking to continually step on all the way until Paris. He’s known for an incredible engine and near-unparalleled endurance. Expect a big showing from these guys.
Will Stewart & Sam Nunn (Leander Club & Oxford Brookes University BC)
Stewart and Nunn were both part of the Men’s Four last season that defied expectations to become GB’s most dependable gold-medal hopeful. The crew was, arguably, the lowest-ranked boat in the sweep fleet last year behind the pair and the eight. However, the athletes in the boat – Freddie Davidson, Matthew Aldridge, Nunn and Stewart – gelled unbelievably well, becoming a real model for the technical style that GB seem to be instilling in all their boats at the moment, characterised by a relatively low rate and a focus on maximising length. What was most impressive was the fact that at the World Championships, the boat lost Matt Aldridge to illness and had to row with super sub David Ambler (a massive talent in his own right, but obviously fairly new to the crew) – and still managed to make the Australian Olympic Champions look like relative amateurs.
Nunn and Stewart were obviously a huge part of the boat’s success, and this pair will be looking to see how close to winning outright they can get. Nunn is a product of the incredible pipeline to Caversham that’s been established at Brookes, having seen huge success their throughout his student career. Stewart’s rise to the top is really impressive – he’s not the biggest, strongest guy, but has shown himself to be one of the best technicians in the squad. This pair could really fly.
David Ambler & Tom Digby (Oxford Brookes University BC)
Ambler and Digby have had very similar rises through the sport of rowing, and have done so in tandem, as both are the same age. They cut their teeth at successful rowing schools – St Paul’s for Ambler, and Abingdon for Digby. Both graduated in 2016. Ambler went to Harvard, where he spent four years in the first varsity eight and finished as captain. Digby went to Yale, where he spent four (unbeaten) years in the 1V and finished as captain. Both represented GB at U23 level numerous times in the process. Both then went to Oxford Brookes, rowing together in the eight that won the Grand Challenge Cup in 2021.
The only point of diversion came last year, where Ambler spent a year at Oxford, rowing to a win in the Boat Race, while Digby established himself at Caversham, winning a seat in the eight. Eventually, both ended the year as World Champions, with Digby in the eight and Ambler subbing into the four. These guys are both massive talents with great technical ability, and, as younger members of the squad, they’ll be keen to keep proving their place. Ambler particularly will be looking to ensure that he earns a coveted seat in a boat for the summer – he certainly has the talent for it.
Jacob Dawson & Ryan Todhunter – Leander/Plymouth ARC & Leander Club
Jacob Dawson & Ryan Todhunter (Leander Club / Plymouth ARC & Leander Club)
This is an interesting pairing that might well challenge for a top spot. Dawson is arguably the single most experienced athlete in the field, having been on the senior team for the longest. He was in the bronze-medalling Tokyo Men’s Eight, but took time off the sport for injury last year. He’s come back with a real vengeance, however. In the first trial early this year, Dawson and Matt Rossiter (another Tokyo Olympian who has since retired and is now part of GB’s America’s Cup team) took a healthy win, and Dawson was immediately welcomed back into the fore at Caversham.
Todhunter is an athlete who’s been on the fringes of the team for some time; he’s one of Leander’s top talents, and looks to finally be making a more decisive move into the senior national circuit. This pair will feel they have a lot to prove, and a lot to gain with a strong result here. They’re both great pairs rowers, so expect a strong challenge from these guys.
Matthew Aldridge & James Robson (Oxford Brookes University BC & Leander Club)
Aldridge was part of the four that proved so successful for GB last year, and has really been at the top of his game for almost a decade, having been a mainstay of some truly iconic Brookes student eights over the past few years before graduating to the Caversham circuit. He expertly combines strength with technique, making him a formidable force in a boat.
Robson, like Ryan Todhunter, is a Leander athlete that hasn’t fully broken into Caversham yet, but seems to be on the cusp. Robson is exceptionally powerful, and will pair well with Aldridge. They’ll need to pull out all the stops if they want to mix with the top crews here.
Prediction
A top three prediction is pretty difficult here considering the depth on show, but I’d be remiss to predict anyone but Wynne-Griffith & George for the win. Behind them, I’m going to be bold and suggest Bewicke-Copley & Digby, with Rudkin & Carnegie following for third.
Good luck to all crews.
Five Man
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