The Championship Quads at the National Schools’ Regatta is the blue riband boys sculling event. This year sees a vast array of crews from right across the country battling it out for bragging rights (and a slot in the coveted Fawley Challenge Cup roster). The likes of Leander, Windsor, Sir William Borlase and Marlow are all present and accounted for alongside insurgent contenders like Bristol, Peterborough and Oundle. With all of this we should be set for a cracker of a Saturday showdown.
Leander Club
Definitely the stand out crew so far this season, Leander are back with a vengeance after a year spent twirling in the shadow of Windsor Boys School. This crew have won pretty much everything they have entered this season (although they were pushed hard at Wallingford Regatta) and various members of the outfit have already had the honour of representing GB at the Munich International Junior regatta, most notably Byron Richards who also won the Junior April Trials Regatta. It will take something extraordinary for someone to beat these boys.
Windsor Boys School
Logic dictates that Windsor would target this event and try to go back-to-back after winning the category – alongside every other Championship Men’s sculling discipline – in 2022. Looking at the line-up, it appears that they have prioritised the small boat categories (Jack Cadwallader is competing in the CH1x). Windsor have a fierce racing mentality and a program proven to deliver results at the very highest level but defeating a near-invincible Leander with a weakened outfit is a tall order even for Mark Wilkinson’s charges.
Marlow Rowing Club
Marlow will fancy their chances of a podium finish in 2023. A silver medal at the Schools’ Head of the River evidenced their speed over long Tideway courses and a matching result at the Junior Sculling Regatta in early May will have set them on regatta track. I am confident they will finish on the podium, but can they challenge the might of Leander?
Sir William Borlase Grammar School
Sir William Borlase are a trip down memory lane. In a season where legendary former coach Robin Dowell sadly passed away, it would be something special for these boys to rise through the ranks and put on a performance under the tutelage of Phil Gray. They’re very much a crew on the rise after third-placed finishes at both Schools’ Head and the Junior Sculling Regatta. With Windsor Boys weakening their line-up somewhat, this opens the door to silverware.
Honourable mentions
I do think that there will be some fierce competition for minor places in the A final and top end of the B final. The likes of Kingston Rowing Club (winners at Nottingham City Regatta), Hartpury, Walton (sixth at the Junior Sculling Head), Claires Court (third at Wallingford Regatta) and Tideway Scullers (winners of J17 Quads at Junior Sculling Head) should be prominent.
Predictions
You would be a fool not to predict Leander to win this one. Minor silverware is probably the more compelling contest here. Marlow and Borlase are probably slight favourites but the racing should be tight!
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