This event is often seen as the blue riband category for male club athletes. Dominated by namesakes Thames in the latter half of last decade, 2021 is ripe for a change at the top. I wouldn’t discount old foes but would welcome in new crews, determined to inscribe their name into Henley Royal Regatta folklore.
City of Bristol Rowing Club
A club who often float around the Thursday of the Thames Challenge Cup, usually dispatching with their opposition on the Wednesday before becoming unstuck in the second or third phase. Well, 2021 might be different. They’ve had a really promising domestic season, consistently ranking in the top five club crews at relevant regattas. They were sixth in the ‘C’ final of Open Eights at the Metropolitan Regatta (4th out of eligible Thames Cup crews) and won the ‘B’ final of Tier 2 Eights at Marlow.
Henley Rowing Club
A new kid on the block but also an old hand, this is probably the most competitive senior men’s boat Henley have entered in the past ten years. They were second in the ‘B’ final of Championship Eights at Marlow Regatta in a time that would have won the Tier 2 Eights ‘A’ final. Henley last won the Thames in 2005 and this outfit, coached by Jamie Copus, look set to run hard at the trophy this year.
London Rowing Club ‘A’
It’s been a long time since London boated a really competitive crew at Henley Royal Regatta (you’d probably have to go back to their 2011 Wyfold crew for the last club-based win) but 2021 could be the year it all changes. This is not their top boat but London have done a really impressive job of revitalising their squad over the past 24 or so months. Half of this crew have been 1st Eight regulars, who won the B Final in Championship Eights on Met Sunday 2021 and placed amongst the top club crews at Marlow Regatta 2021.
Molesey Boat Club
A bastion of junior, club and international racing (and just about everything in between), Molesey last won the Thames Cup in 2016 and have boated a crew that, on paper and on the water to date, look competitive with the very best in this category. They won Tier 2 Eights at Marlow and Metropolitan Regatta and have a large squad from which to select athletes. A good bet for the weekend.
Thames Rowing Club ‘A’
Four of this crew finished fourth in Championship Eights on the Sunday of the Metropolitan Regatta and were the fastest club eight of the day. With significant history in the Thames Challenge Cup – two wins in the past three years – they’re a club who know what it takes. They had to weaken their entry after rulings on eligibility but it’s Thames – you simply cannot rule them out.
Tideway Scullers School
Tideway Scullers have enjoyed a wealth of resource after COVID-19 committed a large swathe of university-eligible athletes to train and race there instead of overseas. Again, this crew had to change a few components at the last moment due to regulations around returning US athletes but I’d still expect them to be aiming for a weekend berth. My intelligence is that their fastest crews are perhaps in other club events but TSS have a rich history of punching well above their weight on the biggest of stages.
Prediction
Now we come to it. I’m going to go big and bold and opt for Henley – I think they’re going well, looking strong and are coached by somebody who knows what it takes to win at HRR. Depending on the draw, their opponents could be any one of Molesey, Thames
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