Holders: Thames Rowing Club
Entries: 53. To be reduced to 32
Thames RC have won this event four times since 2015.
Thames Rowing Club
It seems only fitting to start this preview with the crew that has already been mentioned twice and have their name on this trophy…
Thames are leading the domestic charge in this event and will be looking to go back to back since the last club to do so which was themselves in 2017 & 2018. Long story short, Thames are in outstanding form this season. They rounded out the Winter season with a sixth place finish on home water at HORR and they carried that form into the regatta season. At Wallingford and Met Regatta, they only fell to Leander Club. Thames will be expecting a seed as one of the top crews in this event and will have sights firmly set on a Sunday berth.
Molesey Boat Club
If there’s a British crew to dispense with Thames then it’s the black death, Molesey. They have been nipping at the heels of Thames all season long, with just two seconds separating them at HORR. What is worrying for the rest of the field in the Thames Cup is that Marlow were second in Championship Eights at Marlow Regatta and the fastest Thames eligible crew of the day.
It’s also worth noting that this crew is stacked with talent. Cox, Alex Wenyon is fresh from coxing the Australian PR3 Coxed Four at World Cup I, Tom Worthington will be looking to go back-to-back after winning the Prince Albert last year, Theo Darlow has been lighting up the U23s in recent years and Ollie Salonna is a previous Wyfolds winner. Not to mention the returners from the crew who lost to Thames in the final last year.
This crew is rapid at just the right time of year.
Sydney Rowing Club, Australia
The last time we had a crew from Sydney in the Thames, they got dumped out on the Thursday via disqualification by Oslo in 2016. However, since then, they have won the Wyfolds in 2019 and made a couple of semi-finals along the way.
This year, the Sydney crew crew is quick, they wouldn’t come if it wasn’t. They bring International experience in the form of Alex Nichol and Torun Olsson who both raced for Australia in 2021. They also bring athletes with a huge amount of domestic success, including three athletes who raced in the New South Wales Interstate Eight at the 2022 National Championships and came away with gold.
West End Rowing Club, New Zealand
The best the Kiwis have to offer is coming to Henley. West End is not only the home of Mahé Drysdale, but they are also the gold medalists in Senior Men’s Eights and Coxless Fours at their National Championships earlier this year.
This is a young crew with everyone between 18 and 23 and just like the All Blacks in 2015, they’ll be looking to come to England and win it all.
Riverside Boat Club, USA
Riverside’s fate at HRR has been somewhat short lived in recent years. They last raced in 2017 with their Thames crew and Britannia crew both going out in the first round.
No matter, this year they are back and they bring a combination that was the fifth fastest club eight at last year’s edition of The Head of The Charles. We’ve seen British clubs go and dominate in Boston, it’s time to see if Riverside can do the same in Henley.
Leander Club
Every now and then we’ll get a club crew from the pink palace entering the Thames. This will be made up of their development athletes, perhaps those on gap years or those who have just embarked on their pathway at Leander.
At Marlow last weekend, this crew found themselves in sixth place, losing out to Molesey who have already been mentioned. This followed a fourth place finish at Met Regatta. At the moment, it looks like Leander are capable of reaching the Saturday, but a place in the final is perhaps out of reach, draw dependant of course…
Thames Rowing Club ‘B’
It would be remiss of me not to mention one of the strongest second boats in this field. Very few clubs have the strength and depth of Thames. Yes, it’s impressive that London have three crews and that Vesta are entering five, but Thames have four impressive outfits that all have the potential to win rounds.
This ‘B’ crew lost to their A crew, Molesey and Leander at Marlow, placed ninth at HORR and are benefiting from a hugely productive training camp in sunny Spain. Put it this way – if their men can match the success of the Thames Women at HWR last weekend, the vast majority of domestic ‘A’ boats are in trouble. Just five years ago the Thames ‘B’ crew made the final of this event…
London Rowing Club & City of Bristol Rowing Club
Both of these crews are Friday crews in my eyes; one or both of them may even sneak a seed in the draw. Their respective performances at Marlow were fine but they found themselves off the pace of the leading crew in this event. As such, they can expect to get through the first round relatively successfully, however, they’ll find it difficult to progress into the weekend.
Tyne Amateur Rowing Club, Royal Chester Boat Club, St. Andrew Boat Club
First of all, delighted to welcome back St. Andrew BC. Their first club crew since their four that reach the final of the Brit in 2017. They’ve had representation in the Fawley since then, but great to see them racing in the Thames.
Tyne ARC have produced some quick eights in recent years. They’ve had had success in the Jackson at HORR in recent years and they were unlucky to go up against Thames ‘A’ on the Wednesday a few years back in the Thames.
Royal Chester are a club that are always there or thereabouts. They provide some cracking opposition in the early round of any event they enter into and are not to be written off at any costs, particularly in years that they have the depth of two eights.
Prediction
My Prediction…Providing the draw allows for it, Thames ‘A’, Molesey, Leander and Sydney to make the Saturday. Molesey to win it all… controversial, I know.
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