The 2022 National Schools’ Regatta (NSR) is finally here. For most athletes, NSR is one of the highlights of the season. With 22 crews entered into the WJ16 4x, there promises to be lots of tight racing and it is certainly an event to look out for.
Henley Rowing Club
Henley Rowing Club are arguably the favourites for this title – they have had a dominant season. They won both the Schools’ Head of the River and the Junior Sculling Head (aka The Scullery) by substantial margins. The former was by 37 seconds, in a time that was less than five seconds slower than their J18 eight, and the latter was by over 20 seconds. In addition, their J16 quad was selected to race for Thames Upriver at the recent Junior Inter-Regional Regatta (JIRR), where they won by over 10 seconds on a one-kilometre course – half the distance over which they will race this weekend. As well as this, I believe their J16 quad raced in the Challenge Quads at Wallingford Regatta, placing second behind a talented Leander crew in a time that was faster than the winner of the J16 quads by 14 seconds. If they don’t win, it will be a huge upset.
Sir William Perkins’s School Boat Club
Behind Henley, there are several crews in contention for second place, one of them being SWPS. SWPS came second behind Henley at The Scullery and were eight seconds clear of third-place Headington, who have decided to enter a four rather than a quad at this year’s NSR. More recently, they came second at Wallingford Regatta and third at the Junior Sculling Regatta. In addition to this, they split up into a pair and a double and were selected to represent Thames London at the JIRR, coming first and second respectively. They will definitely be looking for a medal this weekend.
Wycliffe Junior Rowing Club
Wycliffe is another club that has had a very good sculling season and is beginning to build an exciting junior women’s program. After placing eighth at The Scullery, they came third at Wallingford Regatta and then won the Junior Sculling Regatta, beating SWPS (albeit by less than a second). They have certainly found some speed over the last few weeks, and if that continues, a medal is within their reach.
Sir William Borlase’s Grammar School Boat Club
After a 12th-place finish at The Scullery, Sir William Borlase came fourth at the Junior Sculling Regatta – a remarkable increase in boat speed. They were also less than 3.5 seconds away from Wycliffe, a deficit that can be easily overturned. If they keep on this trajectory, there is no reason why they can’t come away with a medal this weekend.
Lea Rowing Club
Lea Rowing Club have had some very good quads over the last few years, qualifying for the Diamond Jubilee Challenge Cup at Henley Royal Regatta in both 2019 and 2021. Their J16 quad have had some good results in 2022, placing 14th at The Scullery and then winning their heat at the JIRR, coming second overall. However, they failed to make the final at Wallingford Regatta, suggesting that they may not have found the necessary speed yet over 2K. If they correct this, they too could be in the fight for the medals.
St George’s College Boat Club
St George’s have also had a pretty decent season thus far. Seventh place at The Scullery was followed up with a fourth-place finish at Wallingford Regatta, less than five seconds behind SWPS and less than three away from Wycliffe. It’s also great to see them in contention for medals again on the junior women’s side – I really hope they can do well this weekend.
Other Entries
Other entrants include Maidenhead Rowing Club, the Tideway Scullers School and Fulham Reach Boat Club. They have all had top ten finishes at major races this season so could well be in contention for a spot in the A Final if they have stepped on in the last month or so.
Prediction
It will be hard to look past Henley this weekend. They have had a dominant season and I expect them to win by clear water. Behind them is where the real battle will be. The silver medal is likely to go to either SWPS or Wycliffe, but I wouldn’t discount the likes of Sir William Borlase and St George’s causing an upset. The A Final will certainly be very tough to make this year. Overall, I’m predicting:
- Henley Rowing Club
- Wycliffe Junior Rowing Club
- Sir William Perkins’s School Boat Club
Steady Steight
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