Holders: Rowing Australia, Australia
Entries: 3
With all due respect to Thames Rowing Club, who make up two of the three entries, this is likely to be a procession for the third of the entries, Oxford Brookes University. Brookes are the current GB M4- and are the reigning European and World Champions – Ollie Wilkes, Dave Ambler, Matt Aldridge and Freddie Davidson. Aldridge and Davidson have something to prove in this event having lost by one foot to the Australians last year, it’s just a pity they won’t be facing the Australians again in Henley (or indeed any other international crew). Thames are no slouches however, and both boats are loaded with Henley winners – seven of the eight rowers have Henley wins to their credit. Thames A has Anthony Lester – winner of the Thames Cup in 2015 and the Visitors in 2016, Sam Thornton – winner of the Thames Cup in 2018, Huw Jones- Wyfold winner in 2022 and James Palmer – another of the 2015 Thames Cup winning crew. Thames B has Richard Dyer from the 2015 Thames Cup crew, Skye Landon – Thames Cup 2017, Max Robinson – Britannia winner in 2022 and former London Rowing Club member Alex Cawthorne. I’ve a strong suspicion that The Stewards Challenge Cup was probably not the event they chose to enter but were “politely requested” to move up from what would likely have been a couple of Visitors entries just so Brookes would have someone to line up against. I would think Thames A & B will meet in the semi-final for the honour of taking on the World Champions.
Predictions
Brookes, obviously.
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