It’s here, at last, the big one. With over 5,000 keen rowers racing over the three-day weekend, the ‘festival-like’ atmosphere the committee promises is sure to be embraced. The National Schools’ Regatta is quite the pinnacle of rowing, even preferable for some to the British Rowing Junior Championships in July. This year’s enormous entry into the Kingston Cup will put each crew to the test as they battle out year-long rivalries on a course with such heritage and prestige, home to the 2012 Olympics. As usual, the main cast are back, but aside from these A-listers, there are a few clubs that might try vie for a medal, with the help of some on-the-day adrenaline.
The Windsor Boys’ School
With the year they’ve had, it would be scandalous to say they wouldn’t get a medal this year, let alone it being a gold one. Time and time again, Windsor have proved their developed foundation, with a list of accolades this year longer than Claire’s Court’s win over Leeds. Starting with their standing from last year, the previous J16 crew came first by an incredible nine seconds, while the crew likely to be racing this year were victors by five seconds in the J15 4x+. Then, the scullery happened, which saw them win again by a similar margin over Tiffin School and Lea, and at Wallingford earlier this month. Guess what? Yes, they won again! By five seconds, it’s been a challenge to know just where they will go, but it’s fair to say their win looks assured, and deserved for Sunday – or is this just the ‘commentators curse’ that could derail this prophecy?
Lea RC
Lea have had an equally strong year, though have always been just pipped. But remember, there’s still medals for silver and bronze, and its these positions I believe will be the most contested. Second at the recent Poplar Regatta, Lea have shown they can improve their placing over time, having come further down at other races this year. This uptake has also been felt at the prestigious Junior Sculling Regatta, where their talents were on display as they claimed the third place, just 0.06 seconds behind Tiffin School, second. They are also racing, and time trialling just in front, so it will be up to the Lea crew to chase them down, while avoiding the choppy water Tiffin would be going to create as much of as possible.
Kingston RC
Just five seconds off Windsor at Wallingford, Kingston have kept in the running all season, and will aspire to improve on their crew’s fourth place last year. Their entry to the podium seems chequered though, as they have been absent from it at the Scullery but then succeeded in dominating the field at the Poplar Regatta, even over the likes of Lea and Windsor (a big upset and surprise). The crew of Where’s Wally enthusiasts will be tested as to which side they will end up on, on Sunday, but in the meantime, I’d say this would be the crew to watch as they either surprise, or conceal themselves back into the surroundings.
Claire’s Court School
Champions of the Nottingham City Regatta (up the north!) Claire’s Court are justifiably worth mentioning as contenders for the podium. Coming fifth at the Junior Sculling Regatta has not put them off, as a display of paramount sculling (albeit reserved towards the end) saw them decimate Leeds with a minute’s lead. This certainly will give them great motivation; however, the limited competition could strike an issue in overconfidence when put back against the talent pool that is the South’s rowing programmes. Nevertheless, Claire’s Court have displayed their potential, it is just up to the articulators of fate on Sunday to decide if it has been enough.
Tiffin School
This crew also has great potential on Sunday since their athletes came in second at last year’s J15 event and have continued to show consistency with a silver medal at the Junior Sculling Regatta. The question now is if they will stay as second place rowers or attempt a challenge for domination into the alpha position. I would thoroughly commend them in doing so, as a change in ordering would be a happy shift for many, unless you’re a Windsor fan. Perhaps a slice of their namesake could give them the boost of energy they require to propel them over the finish line first.
As far as any prediction could go, I fully expect a Windsor medal, most likely a gold one. However, the strength of the other podium challengers could complicate this, but I feel like Tiffin and Kingston might just claim those other spots, closely followed by Lea and Claire’s Court. We will just have to wait until Sunday to find out!
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