With the National Schools’ Regatta returning for its 76th year this Friday, Saturday and Sunday, we can expect to see the culmination of the best J15 rowing of the year, with only the British Championships in July left after this for national events for this age category. Comprised of over 5000 competitors in crews from octuples to singles, coxed quads to pairs, the National Schools’ Regatta remains an event that is inclusive for most juniors in secondary education, with crews’ ages ranging from 14 to 18 years all battling it out together for the incredibly desirable National Schools’ medals.
Radley
With no appearance from St Paul’s in the Eight at Wallingford this year, Radley were able to take away the coveted trophy, after being pipped at School’s Head and several races before by them. Their added advantage of having raced on a regatta lake over the two-kilometre course could see them perform better than ever as they will be adjusted to the shake-up in format since the Head races earlier this year. As a squad, Radley have been very consistent; their older J18 crew have performed well, showing a rounded squad focus and strong examples being set. Moreover, their second-place finish last year to St Paul’s is something they’ll want to put to rest, as this rivalry, even for these young athletes, enters its finishing stages.
King’s College School
With two crews in this year, King’s College School are looking to do as well as possible and being set off second in the time trial, it is an ideal spot for these boys to be in. They won the J15 Eight at Poplar Regatta (albeit in a weakened field) and finished third at the Schools’ Head of the River in March. Their key aim will be looking to close up the ten-second gap between themselves and second-placed Radley. Chasing down the latter and being chased by St Paul’s could provide the adrenaline they need to put out their best time yet.
St Paul’s
After dominating the head season, finishing with a comfortable win at the Schools’ Head in March, St Paul’s will be eager to continue their successes into the regatta season. With the most recent national event, the Junior Sculling Regatta, obviously not containing eights, St Paul’s haven’t raced in a while. Having said that, they will undoubtedly come out in force with sights set on a medal at the very least. Holders in this event and training alongside some of the Princess Elizabeth Challenge Cup-winning athletes of 2022, this unified squad approach is clearly playing a part in the widespread success of the school and helps breed a winning mentality.
Predictions
Almost certainly the largest accumulation of J15 rowers at a single event, the National Schools’ Regatta will be both a test of the strength of training crews have been doing throughout the winter alongside an examination of their ability to transition into side-by-side competition. As far as any predictions go, I’d like to see an underdog story from Radley in the eights, but I think the more realistic outcome is yet another win for St Paul’s.
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