Three former world champions headline a strong men’s U23 pairs event at the 2025 NSW Small Boats Regatta. You’ll find all three of those world champions in UTS colours – but will it be a composite that gets the win at the Sydney International Regatta Centre?
UTS Haberfield
Full UTS crews make up half the field in this event, headlined by 2022 junior coxed four world champions Joe Lynch and Joshua Wilson. They won this event at December’s Reindeer Regatta, throwing in wins in the open men’s eights and men’s A/B fours for good measure. They’ve also been near the top of the last two time trials on the Nepean River, making them very hard to beat.
Fellow world champion Brandon Smith and his partner Will Clubb will be out to do precisely that. They finished second to Lynch and Wilson at the Reindeer Regatta, albeit by just over 20 seconds. They’ll know how each other rows, though – all four teamed up in the fours and eights at the Reindeer Regatta.
The final UTS crew has already laid down their marker in 2025. Nikolaus Mathur and Zinc Bosco came back from Taree on 10 January with golds in the pair, four and double. They also haven’t been far off Smith & Clubb in the time trials.
The composites
If anyone can beat Lynch and Wilson, it’s Sydney’s Alec Hoskin and the University of Queensland’s Monty Martin. Both raced for their states at last year’s Australian Rowing Championships, with Hoskin’s New South Wales getting bragging rights over Martin’s Queensland. Hoskin and Kand’s Darcy Watter were quicker than Lynch and Wilson at the last time trial; can he go quicker with the new partner?
Nepean’s Hugh Harrold and Sydney’s Macarthur Bucknell make for an intriguing combination. Harrold combines his training with coaching Nepean juniors and has recorded some strong results in the time trials. Their chances of a podium largely depend on how well they gel.
The same can be said for Mercantile’s Oliver Scalzo and UTS’ Mackenzie Thompson. They had a reasonable result together at December’s time trial, so the question will be how they go under race pressure.
Prediction
It seemingly comes down to Lynch and Wilson against Hoskin and Martin. I’m predicting that the years of rowing together will be pay off for the UTS crew, with Hoskin and Martin taking silver ahead of Clubb and Smith.
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