The sweet summer smell of Henley is thick in the air. Even if the sun refuses to play its salutary role, scores of rowers up and down the country – and overseas and far away – will be counting down the days until the country’s foremost Regatta rekindles in earnest. Marlow Regatta represents the final garrison in the long march to those sacred straights; the final timing marker before a bi-lateral brigade of bravery is unleashed between the booms. Championship coxed fours equals crews vying for two potential trophies at Henley Royal Regatta; the Britannia Challenge Cup for club coxed fours or the Prince Albert Challenge Cup for student coxed fours. With an entry list brimming with domestic talent – and the mercurial talents of our antipodean friends – let’s dive into the action.
Oxford Brookes University ‘A’
Three of the ‘A’ crew from the burgundy behemoth were silver medalists in the championship coxed four category at BUCS Regatta back in early May and will surely be touting themselves as potential favourites for a third successive victory for Oxford Brookes in the Prince Albert Challenge Cup. Before they can set their sights on red box-related glory though, they must first stamp their authority in the multi-format at Dorney Lake. I have fallen victim to writing Oxford Brookes off in the past, only for them to return and make me look a little silly, but I do think this crew won’t have it all their own way, particularly in light of the fact that both UL and Edinburgh have pooled their considerable resources into the coxed four.
Thames Rowing Club
Another crew vying for their third win in as many years in a category at Henley Royal Regatta, Thames Rowing Club are no strangers to punching hard on the domestic circuit. This crew won the Metropolitan Regatta on the Sunday and finishing third on the Saturday, behind two student crews from UL and Cambridge. They were also second at Wallingford Regatta and on each of these occasions were closely tailed by Royal Chester. This sets up nicely for a pretty fascinating tussle between a selection of well-matched clubs in the domestic bracket.
University of London
These are UL’s strongest four athletes plus cox. Having already raced in the eight at BUCS Regatta – where they placed fourth – this crew are finding speed when it matters. I have no doubt they’ll have one eye firmly on the tails of Oxford Brookes, whose historical dominance of this category leaves us all assuming they’re here to stay. I think 2024 might be a more intriguing proposition. Joe Middleton is a former St Paul’s schoolboy and both George Lauchlan and David Wallace look to be former Henley Rowing club juniors.
Edinburgh University
The baby blue of Scottish pride last ascended those immortal Henley steps in 2016, when their crew won the Prince Albert Challenge Cup. Edinburgh were fifth in open championship eights at BUCS Regatta, carrying two of this crew, but wound up fourth in open championship coxed fours the following day, which relates as a much more realistic test of their collective ability. Ahead of them were two boats from Oxford Brookes – by some 15 seconds – plus Cambridge. On the Sunday of the Metropolitan Regatta, they clawed their way back towards the top of the pile by finishing second in open coxed fours and landing as the fastest student crew (albeit with no Brookes, UL or Cambridge present).
Royal Chester Rowing Club
I would love Royal Chester to do well at Henley Royal Regatta. They churn out consistently strong crews but never have quite enough to really turn the pages of history in their favour. This boat have had a really strong season though, picking up a pair of fourth-placed finishes in open coxed fours at the Metropolitan Regatta and a third at Wallingford Regatta. This basically pitches them in the top five club crews domestically in this bracket, which puts them in contention for a shot at weekend (or Friday) slots in the Britannia Challenge Cup. Henry McGarva has been kicking around the circuit for years and Alexander Bain is a former Northwich junior (albeit only for a year – he previously plied his trade at Royal Chester). All four of this boat won the Jackson Trophy in both 2023 and 2024.
Mercantile Rowing Club, Australia
Whenever a crew makes the trip from across the world, you have to assume they’re going to be fast. Although Australian victories at Henley Royal Regatta have decreased in frequency since the likes of Thames, Molesey and London have found increasing strength, it would be foolish to discount Mercantile, whose white and red strip often lights up the Henley straights. This boat is comprised of Jake Polkinghorne, Oliver Scalzo, Harry Amad and Harry Cathcart; Polkinghorne and Scalzo teamed up to finish fifth in the U23 men’s pair at the 2024 Australian Rowing Championships whilst all four of this boat were in the club men’s eight that finished third and raced the coxless four to fourth.
Prediction
Hard to call this one given we have yet to see all of the top contenders in this category square off against each other. The easy option is to assume that Brookes will take it – and for what it’s worth, I think their ‘A’ crew will have too much for the rest of the field. Behind them, the battle between the remaining student boats – chiefly represented by UL and Edinburgh – will rage and hopefully provide an indicator of just how close these guys are to Henry Bailhache Webb’s boys. I’ll be interested to see if either Royal Chester or Mercantile can close the gap to Thames, who currently sit out on their own as the strongest club contingent.
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