I have to confess something. I arrived back from Dorney Lake about an hour ago, have just finished the National Schools’ Regatta review of over 1000 words and can hear the faint yet oddly tantalising cries of Southampton fans celebrating into the long bank holiday night. So, I want to apologise in advance if this preview is not full to the brim of JRN’s usual unique combination of wit, insight and cutting-edge predictive analysis.
Thames Rowing Club
The ultimate litmus test in club rowing, Thames have established themselves as the standard for all UK-based institutions across the Thames, Wyfold, Britannia and Wargrave Challenge Cups. Going off second in the time-trial, Thames will be desperate to drive more distance between them and their other Putney-based rivals who incidentally are not racing this weekend. With at least one eye firmly set on the Thames Challenge Cup, the Metropolitan Regatta is an important yardstick in the progress of any club tilting for Henley Royal Regatta glory and Thames will want to win this category outright.
St Paul’s School
Fresh off their national title won on this very lake, St Paul’s have been setting a frightening pace at the front of the junior rowing pack in 2024. They were a second behind Thames at Wallingford and if they can close up on Sander Smulder’s boys, that will also represent marked improvement from four weeks ago. With the other medalists from the National Schools’ Regatta absent, St Paul’s won’t get too much information on the relative speed of their Henley Royal Regatta opposition but racing against some of the fastest club and student boats certainly is no bad thing.
Durham University
Bronze at BUCS Regatta, behind two Brookes’ boats, was a solid achievement for Durham, who have faced a little internal turmoil this season but continue to reaffirm themselves in the student pecking order after a winning showing at BUCS Head a few months earlier. The palatinate palace will be focused on a twist round the Temple Challenge Cup turntable in a few weeks’ time and this is good stomping ground to get in and amongst some of their likely challengers (excluding Brookes, who are inconspicuous in their absence). I’m very curious to see whether the other top universities choose to go for the Temple or the Prince Albert, which seems easier to win on the basis that Brookes will not put their top athletes in it.
University of London
Fourth at BUCS was a strong showing for this crew, who were also third overall at Quintin Head and a second behind Thames. If they can maintain that margin – or even better it at Dorney over a shorter course – that will show they’re on the right track. After a difficult 2023 – where basically all of the UL crews fell apart on day one – 2024 has shone a little brighter for Antony Smith’s cohort. Again, the question remains as to whether they will prioritise the eight or the four but that is likely a decision for post-Met selection camps and training sessions on the winding Thames.
King’s College School, Wimbledon
KCS secured fifth at the National Schools’ Regatta but were only four seconds back on the winners from St Paul’s School, who they will meet again on the Dorney straights this weekend. Such is the standard of schoolboy rowing in 2024 that KCS probably have one of their best boats in a generation yet never really featured in the tussle for medals yesterday. Weekend places – where the crowds are at their most vociferous – at Henley Royal Regatta will be fiercely-contested and that is without any international interest yet formally declared.
Edinburgh University
Another crew who regularly feature at the business end of student rowing, Edinburgh were fifth at BUCS Regatta and now face the aforementioned choice – go for bust in the eight or weaken their BUCS outfit by taking the top four rowers out and sticking them in a Prince Albert-bound coxed four. Depending on the outcome of that decision, I’ll reserve judgement on how well this crew will fare.
Prediction
This is likely to be between Thames and St Paul’s for the win. It’s possible that St Paul’s, who likely engineered a mini-peak in time for the National Schools’ Regatta, will not be at their brutal best so in my eyes, Thames are the favourites.
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