For a junior coxed four crew, the National Schools’ Regatta provides the largest stage for them to perform and make their mark at the top of the podium, as unlike other junior events, there is no corresponding category at the Henley Royal Regatta. This makes competition fierce, and with just 2000m on the infamous Dorney Lake, attempts to claim silverware will undoubtedly be bold and brutal.
Royal Shrewsbury School Boat Club
Shrewsbury has gone all in for this event this year, as they have no entry into the championship eights, meaning their top athletes will be present in this boat. This leaves no room for error, with them clearly looking to dominate. They have entered two crews into this event, with their top crew leading out the time-trial. At Wallingford Regatta, Shewsbury finished third and fourth in this category, showing impressive squad depth. Of the crews that beat them, only one, Canford School BC, is racing at National Schools’, and with less than three seconds separating them at Wallingford, the fight between them could be seriously intense. Although their second crew has been seeded lower in the draw (only 13th), at Wallingford only three seconds separated the first and second boats, so we could potentially see multiple Shrewsbury boats qualifying for the A final.
Emanuel School Boat Club
Emanuel came sixth in this event last year, and with three of four members returning this year once again, along with the same cox, Millie Tier, so they will have one of the most solid foundations of any club entered in this event. Despite scratching out of the race at Wallingford Regatta for unknown reasons, they still come into this regatta as one of the favourites, with a third seeding in the draw. The crew is completed by Sam Williams, who won the Championship Pair at National Schools’ last year, so could add that extra performance that will fast-track them to the top of the podium. This crew, stroked by Artie Dangour, could be a dark horse for their competitors and must be watched closely.
Canford School Boat Club
After a confident second at Wallingford Regatta, 15 tenths behind winners Latymer Upper School, who will not be competing in this event at this regatta, Canford is on the front foot. Furthermore, they came fourth in this event last year, and with 50% of the same crew in the boat once again, they will surely be looking to improve on their result this time around. However, the elephant in the room is Shrewsbury, and whether Canford will be able to hold off their impressive squad depth for a second regatta, or whether the increased pressure of NSR will reveal chinks in their armour.
St George’s College Boat Club
With a sixth at Wallingford Regatta, and a second position seeding for this event, St George’s is certainly a crew to look out for. Furthermore, they also performed notably at the Schools’ Head of the River Race, finishing third in the Schools First Eights category. Nevertheless, it is possible they will be slightly underpowered in this field, as at Wallingford they still finished a whole 25 seconds behind first place, and can expect the crews at the top to be stepping up their game even further for National Schools’.
Notable Mentions
Enniskillen Royal Boat Club could be worth watching for, with a third-place finish in this event last year, although no members of that crew will be returning this year. Additionally, St Joseph College Rowing Club may also stand out from the crowd, as although not seen at many of the largest regattas this year, they will be travelling from Ireland, so must believe it is worth making the trip.
Predictions
With Shrewsbury going all in for this event, it seems it will be their race to lose, however, it will definitely be a close race with Canford. It is hard to know how Emanuel faces up to their competitors, but it would not be a surprise to see them on the podium, if not the top step.
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