The introduction of the Island Challenge Cup at Henley Royal Regatta for women’s student eights has seen many universities prioritising eights as their selected top boat, and this can be seen in the number of entries into the Colgan Foundation Cup for Aspirational Academic Eights where 30 crews are going to be completing the time trial for only 16 spaces. This category is going to be extremely competitive and winning will be no easy feat with knock-out style racing over the three days of the event. Of the 16 crews that qualify, the fastest eight will be seeded to opposite sides of the draw in the hope that they will only meet in later rounds.
Durham University BC
Durham University have gone from strength to strength this season, in both of their squads. The crew entered this event is made up of the same nine women who placed sixth in the A final of Women’s Championship Eights on the Saturday of the Metropolitan Regatta, making them the fastest eight of the crews entered this event. Given that their top athletes are racing in the championship events at the regatta, this impressive performance last weekend demonstrates that Durham has both strength and depth in their squad which prove advantageous going into the regatta.
Oxford Brookes University BC
This is Brookes’ second eight with their first eight racing in the Championship Eights event, but this by no means takes them out of the running for potentially winning the event. While the crew has not raced much yet this regatta season, they were the fastest academic second eight back at the Women’s Eights Head of the River Race, beating several first eights in the process. This Brookes crew will be fast, and it certainly wouldn’t be a surprise to see them in Sunday’s final.
Oxford University Women’s BC
With the regatta entry rules stating that athletes who have completed the Boat Race must race in championship events, it means that none of the athletes in this crew will have Boat Race experience. However, being part of the OUWBC development squad means there will be some serious speed and experience in this boat.
DSRV Laga, NED
DSRV Laga is regarded as one of the top student rowing associations in the Netherlands, with a huge squad and successful history behind it. At a recent regatta on the Amsterdam Rhine Canal, they only narrowly missed out on winning the so-called ‘Golden tin’, losing to Nereus, known for producing incredibly quick student crews. Their decision to invest in sending the crews over to the UK, along with strong domestic results means the crew from DSRV Laga could be capable of some fast times, which could throw a spanner into the aspirations of the domestic universities.
Clark University, USA
The decision to send two crews over to the UK suggests that the Clark University Women’s Rowing programme believes their athletes to be capable of producing some considerable speed. Most recently, the Clark University rowing team competed at the 2022 National Invitational Rowing Championship and took the win in both the varsity eight event and open four. Previously, it has only really been the Ivy League Universities that send over crews to race at Henley Women’s Regatta and Henley Royal Regatta, so it is fantastic to see other universities making the trip across the pond to spice up the domestic competition.
Newcastle University BC
A stalwart in British university rowing, Newcastle University women’s squad have struggled to dominate their competition for much of the 2021-22 season. However, the commencement of the run in to Henley at last weekend’s Metropolitan Regatta saw them take second and first place in the Women’s Academic Eights on Saturday and Sunday respectively, demonstrating that Newcastle University are still amongst the top dogs when it comes to regatta racing. They are in a strong position being able to field a first eight with athletes who are all still eligible to race in the academic category, and the ability to train against their second eight will provide beneficial in making both boats faster. I would certainly expect the first eight to appear in the semi-finals of this event.
NUI Galway BC, IRE
Another international crew making the trip over is the NUI Galway Boat Club from Ireland. They raced on both days of the Metropolitan Regatta in the Women’s Eights event, coming fifth in the B final on Saturday, and second in the B final on Sunday, whereby they beat Durham University. It is however worth noting that this Durham crew was not the same as the crew racing here. They also made the trip over for the Women’s Eights Head of the River Race back in March and put in a strong performance to win the overseas university pennant, coming 24th overall. Back home they are regarded as the top dogs in Irish women’s rowing, so it’ll be exciting to see how they fare against domestic and other international crews.
Prediction
The vast entry size for the Colgan Foundation Cup promises a competitive regatta for athletes, and exciting races for spectators to watch, with narrow margins expected. Given the season so far, and recent regatta results, I would expect the final to be between two of Durham, Newcastle, or Oxford Brookes. However, the mystery around the international crews means there could be room for a shake-up, while the shorter length of the Henley Women’s Regatta course, also provides an opportunity for other crews to come through and take the crown.
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