The Men’s B Grade Eights at Melbourne’s Head of the Yarra is one of the highlights in the Australian rowing calendar for those rowers who are affectionately known or label themselves as ‘clubbies’. While famously termed ‘the coxes’ race’, the Head of the Yarra is not only a tricky course and a true test of a good coxswain, but also a blast for rowers and a pinnacle event for clubs, who will pull almost every eight off their racks and send them up the river towards Hawthorn for the eight-kilometre race. It is also undoubtedly a social highlight as clubs and their communities head into Christmas and the end of the year with what will be one of, if not the longest, race in the Australian rowing calendar.
Contesting this years’ Men’s B Grade are many crew from across the country, including some of the finest clubs in Australian rowing. Most incredibly, only two eights from the city of Melbourne are entered here, making it certainly one of the most inter-state events of the weekend.
Predictions
KAND have remarkably sent a crew down from Queensland to accompany their Men’s Open Eight entry, and are certainly worth keeping an eye on as a potentially fast and aggressive competitor. We can’t say they’ll have any advantage over the unique and deceptive twists and bends of the Yarra River, but KAND are a crew to watch nonetheless.
Sydney Rowing Club has sent two crews down and are renowned for their depth of speed and grit. No doubt Sydney has two fast eights here, and their fastest will undoubtedly look to challenge for the B-Grade title. While Sydney finished outside the top three in 2023’s Men’s B Grade for the Head of the Yarra, a few returners from that crew spread across the two Sydney crews will drive them towards a hopeful medal finish.
Sydney University are another one of the four crews coming from Melbourne’s great rival city, and have a crew made up of some nice youthful talent. Look to SUBC to challenge for the minor medals.
Toowong return as the event holders, having claimed the 2023 title with a seriously impressive time of 27:39.76, not including their 20-second penalty, which still kept them in first place ahead of the crew from the University of Queensland. Toowong has four returners from that winning crew, so they no doubt know what it takes to win and will go out understanding what a winning pace feels like – something that is hard to get right on the lengthy and taxing course.
UTS make up the final of four crews from Sydney, and will look to improve on their seventh-placed finish from last year, although with only one rower and the cox returning, UTS certainly have a chance at a do-over and serious contention for a medal.
Of final mention is the crew from the University of Queensland – 2023’s runners-up. UQ have four returning rowers and the returning cox, which makes this combination a worthy threat to the reigning champions from Toowong, and no doubt they will go after it.
Ultimately, Sydney will look to separate themselves and claim the victory, with the other aforementioned crews all within close distance of medals in this tightly contested field. If Toowong can go back-to-back in this strong field, they ought to be renowned for being an exceptional long-race crew.
Good luck to all rowers and coxes.
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