Down to less than a third of 2019 numbers, the Remenham has been hit harder than almost any other event at the regatta, not that such calculations will be foremost in the minds of these rowers. This year’s Royal will give a younger group of athletes the chance to shine, with many of the stalwarts of this category out of action after Tokyo. Two crews from the Netherlands will meet three domestic entrants, all of whom have substantial international experience, in what promises to be some of the most exciting racing of the week.
Amsterdamsche Studenten Roeivereeniging Nereus, Netherlands
The last time a Remenham ASR Nereus crew (albeit a composite) boated at the Royal was in 2019. Their team failed to make the weekend after an unfortunate draw pitted them against the eventual winners – Waiariki Rowing Club – on Friday. Can this crew do any better? The majority of these oarswomen are lifted from the 2021 Under23 boat that took silver in Raice, whilst the two new rowers also have international experience, with Lotta Van Westreenen coming 10th overall at the same event in the quad, while Franny Bon won the B final at the Under23s in 2019. Talent is certainly not sparse, then, but I doubt they’ll have the might to overcome their Dutch rivals, half of whom were selected for the FOQR, and could feasibly have made Tokyo.
Hollandia Roeiclub, Netherlands
The second Dutch crew to enter this event are certainly the more robust boat, with – as previously mentioned – four of these athletes having previously attempted to qualify the eight for Tokyo, missing out on the Olympic dream by seconds. The bow pair of this crew also have strong international pedigree, with Kolkman and Dullemans transferring from the double that finished 6th at the second World Cup, whilst Boonstra makes the step us from Under23 level, and Stewart leaves the small boats behind, having failed to qualify the pair of the Tokyo Games. In all, therefore, this crew is the closest we’ll see to a full-force national team crew and will be looking to dominate from day one, though both the Leander and Brookes crews will be looking to challenge such as assumption.
Leander Club
The Premier domestic crew at this event, six of these athletes enjoyed success at World Cup III under the Project Paris initiative, with the remainder of the crew also having deep International roots. Sam Redgrave and Susie Dear were the bronze medalists in the pair in Sabaudia and were followed across the line by this crew’s bow pair of Heidi Long and Alice Davies. Lauren Irwin and Hope Cessford sit at 7 and 6, having come from the GBR women’s four that just missed out on a podium position in Sabaudia, while at the centre of the boat, Holly Nixon – one-half of the women’s double that attempted Tokyo qualification – and Lucy Edmunds, silver medalist for the 2019 Under23 World Championships, provide the power. Coxed by Morgan Baynham-Williams, present in the victorious 2016 Oxford Women’s Blue Boat and cox of the 2019 World Cup III women’s eight, this crew has the potential to go all the way and should undoubtedly be the favourite domestic boat.
Molesey Boat Club and Leander Club
A seasoned crew, and one that has spent more time roaming the domestic circuit than some of their competition, will be tested by crews fresh off the international circuit, though they are by no means out of their depth. Coxed by 2016 Under23 silver medalist, this crew is stacked with talent that burst onto the world circuit a few years ago, whilst the likes of Holly Dunford inject a sense of youthful dynamism. Beth Bryan, the World silver medalist in the quad for 2017, sits at 7, with Alex Watson, who claimed second place at the 2019 Under23 World Championships at 4. In all, therefore, this crew remains something of an unknown entity in comparison to their four competitors. As such, I doubt their ability to power past the Hollandia or Leander crews, though I learned many regattas ago to rule nothing out.
Oxford Brookes University and Queen’s University, Belfast:
With Brookes potentially on course to claim a clean-sweep in the student events, it only makes sense that their top athletes would make a move to the top women’s event at the regatta, though whether they’ll be able to topple the Dutch remains to be seen. Stroked by Sophia Heath – winner of the GB open trials in May, the crew is a smorgasbord of Brookes veterans, Project Paris athletes, Under23 medalists, and even a Cambridge Blue in the form of Sarah Tisdall. In addition, Maddie Gardener has transferred from the winning Brookes eight at Henley Women’s, whilst Hannah Cooper returns to Henley, having won the Diamond Jubilee in 2017 with Gloucester Rowing Club. Under the tight command of ex-Molsey cox Autumn Mantell and Richard Chambers, this crew certainly have a chance of a Sunday appearance, though they’ll face stiff competition from the Leander Crew.
Conclusions & Predictions:
All of these crews have the potential to secure a win here. Still, to my mind, it’s hard to look past the Hollandia and Leander crews when it comes to picking a winner, with the former driven by a desire to reconcile lost Tokyo dreams and the latter packed with emerging talent. With my patriotic hat on, it would be fantastic to see a crew full of Paris stardom walk away the victors, though my head tells me it will be the Dutch who steal the win.
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