Henley Women’s Regatta is back, and the list of crews vying for their names to be engraved on the base of the Ron Needs Cup certainly did not disappoint this year. Boasting an impressive fifteen entries of clubs and universities hailing from the UK, Ireland, The Netherlands, USA, and Canada, this promises to be a high-octane and truly international contest for the cup. Below, I will provide a brief commentary of a handful of crews entered that may be slightly more favoured to take the win, ordered alphabetically and based on their prior performances throughout the season. Nevertheless, it would not be a championship eights event on the Henley course without an air of unpredictability, so I am sure we will see some surprise performances on the way to that all-important final run down the track.
Edinburgh University BC
First up in this preview are recent Scottish champions, Edinburgh University. No doubt they will still be riding high on their season-long domination of the UK university rowing scene, with the squad coming away with the overall Victor Ludorum at BUCS Regatta, and this crew will certainly arrive at the Henley course hungry for another win on English water. A truly gutsy crew with the squad depth to select the crème de la crème in this championship eight, Edinburgh could well surprise us and deliver some rows in line with their consistently high performance this season. Keep your eyes peeled for the ladies in baby blue.
Leander Club
It would be extremely uncharacteristic of this event not to feature the host club, Leander. This year, they grace us with not one but two entries. Considering many of Leander’s top women’s sweepers are under the ‘project Paris’ GB programme at Caversham, the fact they are still able to provide two eights here proves the sheer quality in the Leander women’s squad this year. Having recently come away with third place on both days of the Metropolitan Regatta earlier this month, vengeance will no doubt be on the minds of those in the Leander ‘A’ boat. We await with bated breath to see if Leander’s legacy and strength come to fruition in the form of a winning performance here.
Oxford Brookes University BC
Ever a strong contender in this event is the crew representing Oxford Brookes University. Looking at the entry lists, it appears that that this crew comprises the exact same athletes who claimed the gold at BUCS Regatta 2022 back in May. This very crew also made their mark internationally earlier this month, with an impressive win at Ratzeburg Regatta in Germany, beating both the German and Danish U23 crews in the process. Based on track record and the virtuosic nature of the Brookes programme year-on-year, I have no doubt that this year’s championship crew will power down the course in their bid to claim another noteworthy win as they continue to build towards Henley Royal at the end of this month.
Thames RC
Another club with a historically high-performing women’s squad is Thames. Thames are often cited for having the largest squad of all the Tideway crews, so there was certainly no shortage of talent when it came to selection for the ‘A’ boat this season. They have certainly struck a more prominent chord on the women’s championship scene recently, especially since their second-place finishes on both days at Metropolitan Regatta. Thames are clearly hoping to build nicely towards their Henley Royal campaign with a potential win here, which has every chance of occurring.
University of California, Berkeley, USA
Crews from across the pond are certainly no strangers to the Henley course, and this year proves no exception. Of the three USA-based crews supplied in this event, the standout on paper is that of UC Berkeley. Berkeley placed fourth at this year’s NCAA Championships behind Texas, Stanford, and Princeton, only one second off the bronze-medal position. I am not entirely convinced that their performances will be enough to make the final or claim the win, but I have a feeling that this Berkeley crew may nonetheless cause a stir in an event historically dominated by British boats.
University of London BC
Last but certainly not least in this breakdown of favourites is, of course, the University of London. The ladies in purple are once again taking to the Henley Women’s Regatta, and the crew this year is nothing short of a force to be reckoned with. With a score card consisting of back-to-back championship eights wins at Metropolitan Regatta, a silver medal at BUCS Regatta, and pennant-winning performances throughout head season, I have no doubt that UL will look to set themselves up for Henley Royal glory by lifting the Ron Needs Cup here at Henley Women’s.
Prediction
This championship eights even is often the pinnacle of the week, certainly from a spectator’s point of view, and I can’t wait to see how the contest pans out as each day unfolds. After much deliberation, I could perhaps foresee a UL vs. Oxford Brookes final, much like BUCS Regatta, with Brookes possibly just edging it on finals day and coming away victorious. However, I have no doubt that Thames will try to cause disruption, as will home favourites Leander, and UC Berkeley may even be the international wild cards who make this contest all the more intriguing.
Beyond the above-mentioned standouts, the remainder of the roster is nothing short of exemplary. With Brown University (USA), Bucknell University (USA), a Cambridge University/London/Thames composite, Nottinghamshire County, Tideway Scullers School, University of British Columbia (Canada), University College Dublin Ladies (Ireland), and a Dutch composite crew from six of the most successful institutions on the Dutch rowing scene completing the lineup, this promises to be a truly remarkable display of women’s sweep rowing at its best. Good luck to all.
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