National Schools’ Regatta represents the pinnacle of the rowing season for many junior oarsmen, none more so than for those aiming to make the leap into the junior 16 boats that signify the start of the ultra-competitive inter-club rowing programmes that build up to championship level at Schools’ Head, National Schools’ Regatta and Henley Royal Regatta.
The introduction of various regulations over the last few years has meant that we now see a vastly different crew in the J15 four to the J15 eights, in contrast to what can often be seen in the higher categories of junior sweep rowing. This has resulted in closer, more dramatic racing in these races, despite this category being somewhat unique to National Schools’ Regatta.
Sir William Borlase:
A fantastic flash of red and deep blue on the water always heralds the arrival of arguably Britain’s most pre-eminent state school rowing club, Sir William Borlase. Since its introduction to the school in the pre-war era, the club has gone from strength to strength and in recent years has been no stranger to wins at both National Schools’ and Henley Royal Regatta, and it would appear this years’ J15 cohort fully intends to continue such a reputation. Despite this being a somewhat unusual category for this cohort, Borlase demonstrated their strength in the coxed fours at Bedford Regatta a matter of days ago where they beat the local rowing Goliaths, Bedford School. Earlier on in the year, boys of this crew formed part of the Eight that took third at Bedford Head in a tight field, building on the success that the first parts of the Head Season bought with them. Borlase are a strong contender in any field with athletes lift right and centre successfully trialling for places on the junior British Squad, in-between being a major player in regional and national rowing, and even more so in a cohort where experience and confidence are all too often the deciding factors.
Westminster School Boat Club:
It seems almost criminal to mention experience without mentioning Westminster, the oldest rowing club in the world that over recent years has grown to be one of the strongest on the Thames. The J15s seemed to struggle against the might of the some of the ‘big boys’ in schoolboy rowing such as St. Pauls and Hampton at Schools’ Head, coming in a disappointing 7th place, but in a tight field where the top 9 spots were separated by less than 30 seconds. However, at the recent Putney town regatta, the Westminsters proved their worth, winning in a strong field, after also winning at another local event: Chiswick Regatta. Coming into National Schools’ we should expect to see a crew aiming for a podium finish, backed by the experience of coaches and crew-mates alike.
Hereford Rowing Club:
One of the favourites for the win at National Schools’, Hereford have perfected the art of sweep rowing, whilst continuing to scull to perfection throughout the season. Most recently, at the Junior Sculling Head, this crew in the quad came 6th in a highly competitive field, only weeks after having won by a truly stunning margin of 40 seconds at Henley Fours and Eights Head. At the West Midlands Junior Champs the four then recorded a second place, just shy of Shrewsbury School, but when split into two doubles this crew recorded a 1-2 to the horror of their competition. Whether their local rivals will manage to trump them is yet to be seen, however, we can rest assured this boat is not short on power, with the Bowman, Jake Birch setting a new world record for the dynamic 60 minutes in his category, setting the stage for an exciting and powerful race this weekend.
Reading Blue Coat School:
Fortunate to back straight onto the Thames, Reading Blue Coat School have capitalised on their geographical advantage to develop crews that have dominated in several categories throughout the Head Season. At henley fours and Eights, the J15s recorded a second place in both the Fours and the eights, crucially being beaten in the fours by the aforementioned Hereford. This crew, nor any other RBCS made an appearance at schools’ Head, despite their championship eight aiming for a top 10 finish at the event… As a result, this will be the first major test of these boys’ abilities on a national stage where they must face the might of some of the most established crews in the country, but this is a crew that was born from a culture of success that will stand them in good stead at Dorney.
Names to watch:
A number of other crews have been entered into this event from all over the country, Aberdeen Schools is one of the largest and most successful names on the Scottish Circuit having dominated at The Scottish Junior Championships for a number of years we can safely assume this crew will be one of the most technically proficient on the Olympic Course. Another big name is Tideway Scullers School who have spent little time in the four this season but hope to transfer the technique and strategy from their hugely successful sculling programme as these juniors burst onto the scene. Alongside them, Kingston and Great Marlow School are classic big names on the junior circuit who we – nor their competition – should underestimate.
In conclusion…
The fours are the most technically complex of the sweep boats for the J15s who will make their first appearance on the national circuit this weekend. The results of these races will shape the future of the lives of these boys who have the potential to be part of something special in the J16 eights and fours next season. However, for now, we can look no further than the end of this week when the wheat will be separated from the chaff in what promises to be a dramatic, exciting, and fast set of races at Dorney Lake.
Good Luck!
OneScull
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