Pairs Head 2023 – Women’s Pairs Preview

As we delve deeper into head season, Pairs Head brings an opportunity for sweep rowers to take on the Tideway this weekend. Eleven crews will race for the title of Championship Women’s Pairs, which is chock-a-block with Tideway clubs, although surprising to see no entries from last year’s victors – Vesta Rowing Club. It’s also the first time that we’re seeing a Senior Women’s Pairs category, where eleven boats from nine different clubs will race for the pennant, along with another full category of eleven Club boats.

Championship Pair

Laura Ellington & Lizzie Witt (Imperial College Boat Club)

Fresh from a very successful last season, and with a new pairs partner, Lizzie Witt will certainly be on the hunt for another trophy to add to her name. Ellington & Witt were both in the 2021 Cathy Cruickshank Trophy crew from ICBC that went on to win the event over their UL counterparts. An experienced pair, they’ll certainly be ones to keep an eye on as they race on their training stretch.

Hannah Roberts & Sina Schaefer, Phoebe Campbell & Emilia Crocker, and Charlotte Wesselmann & Darla Matthews (Thames Rowing Club)

We all saw the flotilla of Thames boats on finals day at HRR – and they made a name for themselves as the most successful club this year – so it’ll be interesting to see whether this success translates into head season. These are three very strong pairs as the crews stand at the moment, and I’d be surprised not to see at least two in the top 5. All are experienced at this Championship level, and on their home water, I’m excited to see what Thames can pull out of the bag.

Katherine Robinson & Elizabeth Johnston, and Elly Foulds & Annabel Headley (Worcester Rowing Club)

Worcester Women have proven themselves to be a force to be reckoned with since their win in the Lester Trophy for Aspirational 4- at Henley Women’s, and 3/4 of that crew will now be taking to the Tideway for the Pairs Head. Robinson & Johnston are likely the favourites out of the two Worcester crews, but I think that both will be ready to step up to the challenge.

Senior Pair

Rachel Borrows & Emily Paul (Upper Thames Rowing Club)

Like many of these pairings, Borrows & Paul are fresh from a strong performance at Henley Women’s Regatta, as 4th fastest qualifiers in the Redgrave Challenge Vase, and only beaten out in the semis by eventual winners Lindberg & Witt. I look forward to seeing how this duo will fare on the Tideway this weekend, and expect to see a similarly strong performance over this longer distance in the Senior W2- category.

Imogen Wolstencroft & Efa Wilson (Thames Rowing Club/University of Bristol)

This composite is not a pairing that we’ve seen before, but both certainly come from strong backgrounds. On home waters, Wolstencroft of Thames RC was part of the Thames domination over the Wargrave cup at Henley, stroking the ‘D’ crew beaten out by their own club’s ‘A’ boat, and eventual winners, in the heats. Wilson came away from BUCS regatta with a Silver in the 4+ in 2023, having put in a convincing performance at GBRT trials earlier in the season, so it’ll be exciting to see how this pair can come together.

Cladia Hermes & Rachel Lewis (Cambridge ’99)

Hermes & Lewis took home the Women’s Club Pairs pennant from this event in 2022, so I imagine that they’ll be looking to continue their reign this year. This crew is another who raced for the Redgrave Challenge Vase at HWR this year, but similar to their UTRC counterparts, were left behind in the wake of Linderberg & Witt’s charge for victory after the 1st round. I hope to see a gutsy performance from these two to challenge for a win two years in a row.

Predictions

There are some incredibly strong crews entered in the Championship category, and I think that the top three will be Thames, Imperial, and potentially Worcester, although they’ll also see competition from UL and LRC for the top spots. There’s also some great depth in the new Senior category, and it should make for some good competition. I expect to see Borrows & Paul of UTRC come out on top, although they could definitely be challenged by Hermes & Lewis of Cambridge 99s. The TRC/UBR composite also isn’t out of the question, depending on what they can pull off on the day, but whatever happens, I expect there to be some fierce racing for the pennant.

About The Author

Lara Robinson

Having first sat in a boat aged 13 at Stratford upon Avon BC, Lara’s love for the sport has only gone from strength to strength. Now Women’s Captain at City of Oxford RC and in her second season writing for JRN, she primarily covers student and club level women’s rowing alongside her day job as a neuroscience researcher at the University of Oxford.

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