Following another year of record entries, women across the country and beyond are gearing for the iconic Henley Women’s Regatta. This year, the Colgan foundation cup for Aspirational Academic eights boasts an impressive 31 entries from across the UK and further afield. With the event course 500m shorter than the typical 2000m distance, crews that excel over shorter distances will be looking to capitalise on this advantage.
Oxford Brookes University Boat Club
Last year’s champions, Oxford Brookes University Boat Club (OBUBC) return with their sights set on a third consecutive win in this event. The squad’s dominance and depth can be demonstrated by their 50 athletes entered across eight crews for the regatta, many of which will be considered favourites to win their respective events. The crew entered into the Colgan Foundation Cup is made up of four athletes each from the winning intermediate eight and second-placed intermediate eight at this season’s BUCS Regatta. With this blend of talent and experience, OBUBC is poised to defend their title with confidence.
Edinburgh University Boat Club
Vying to get in the way of making this a three-peat for OBUBC are the women from Edinburgh University Boat Club (EUBC). EUBC secured bronze in intermediate eights at BUCS Regatta. However, this crew managed to beat the eventual silver medalists in the event to the 1500m mark by four-tenths of a second. Bolstering their line-up with four athletes from their championship eight, EUBC presents a formidable threat, especially given the shorter course distance.
University of Bristol Boat Club
Another crew to watch in this event are the University of Bristol Boat Club. Despite a fourth-placed finish in the ‘B’ final of intermediate eights at BUCS Regatta, the crew found their stride at the recent Metropolitan Regatta. There, they outperformed strong teams from Exeter, Newcastle and London and finished just two seconds behind the Edinburgh crew. Nearly all of the crew that produced this result at the Metropolitan Regatta will be heading to the Henley course looking to continue overturning the high- performance centres.
University of London Boat Club
Hoping to improve on last year’s second-round exit, the University of London Boat Club has entered a crew that won the B-Final of intermediate eights at BUCS Regatta. Following an intensive training camp in Brive, this crew aims to close the gap on their competitors and have a deeper run in the regatta.
International Entries
This event has attracted international attention with entries from Ireland, the Netherlands and the USA which speaks to the prestige and quality of racing offered at the regatta. It will be interesting to see how the top UK crews in this event stack up against these international entries.
Prediction
I would place Oxford Brookes University Boat Club and Edinburgh University Boat Club as favourites to get to the final of this event. With the addition of four championship athletes to their line-up, EUBC’s crew is poised to leverage the shorter 1500m course to their advantage. This enhanced line-up could give EUBC the edge they need to outpace OBUBC and potentially prevent them from retaining the title for a third consecutive year.
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