Pairs Head of the River Race is set to return to the Tideway on Saturday, 12 October 2024. The Women’s Championship Double Sculls promises to be a fiercely contested event featuring some of the top sculling talent from across the UK. With a challenging course along the Thames, the eight crews must draw on their skill, strength and resilience to navigate the river’s unpredictable conditions. The event attracts experienced athletes, many of whom have competed at prestigious regattas such as Henley Royal Regatta and Henley Women’s Regatta. With no returning crews from last year, it is set to be an exciting event, particularly amongst the top four crews.
Nottingham Rowing Club
Nottingham Rowing Club’s captain, Jen Titterington, will team up with Poppy Baker for this year’s Pairs Head of the River Race, bringing together two accomplished athletes with a proven track record of success.
Titterington enjoyed a standout season last year, advancing to the quarterfinals in Henley Women’s Regatta. She then competed for England in the prestigious Home International Regatta, where she dominated, winning three races, including the Women’s Single 2000m event, by a commanding ten-second margin.
Baker also excelled on the international stage, representing Great Britain in the Under-23 Women’s Double Sculls, where she secured an impressive second-place finish at the Holland Beker Regatta. She continued her successful season by winning the Borne Cup in the Championship Quadruple Sculls at Henley Women’s Regatta for Nottingham Rowing Club.
Both athletes demonstrated considerable skill and consistency during the regatta season, so it will be exciting to see how they perform as a duo over the longer course on the Tideway.
London Rowing Club
After a record-breaking summer at Henley Women’s Regatta, London Rowing Club’s Devin Ward and Laura Bates are poised to bring fierce competition to Saturday’s race.
Bates, winner of the 2023 Fiona Dennis Trophy for aspirational single sculls, has continued her success with a third-place finish at BUCS Regatta 2024 in the Women’s Championship Lightweight Single Sculls and achieving a confident win at Poplar Regatta in the double sculls event. More recently, she represented Scotland at the Home International Rowing Regatta (competing in the same races as Jen Titterington), securing three medals.
Meanwhile, Ward, originally from Maine and a former University of Toronto rower, has made her mark in London, reaching the quarterfinals in the aspirational lightweight single sculls at Henley Women’s Regatta and claiming second place at Poplar Regatta.
Since the start of this season, both have claimed victories in London Rowing Club’s annual Doug Melvin Challenge. These two women’s impressive track records suggest they could make a powerful pair in the upcoming race. The question now is whether these two can use their important home advantage and form the perfect partnership on Saturday.
City of Oxford Rowing Club
Pippa Biggs and Elizabeth Sekinger, now representing City of Oxford Rowing Club, are set to test their skills over the weekend.
Biggs had a strong season with The Martlet Club, competing in the A-final of the Championship Singles at Metropolitan Regatta and reaching the quarterfinals at Henley Women’s Regatta in the aspirational singles category.
Sekinger has a strong background in junior quads and singles, so she is no stranger to high-pressure racing. In 2022, she represented Great Britain in the Coastal U19 Women’s Doubles. Although a rogue wave sent her boat overboard and led her to miss out on the bronze medal, her experience in tough conditions makes her more than ready for any trials the Tideway might bring.
Both athletes have shown they are up for a challenge, and together, they could be a pair to watch in this race.
Walbrook Rowing Club
Walbrook Rowing Club’s Natasha Gallagher and Renee Myburgh bring their extensive experience as a double to this year’s event after coming in sixth place in the Senior Women’s Doubles category at Pairs Head last year. Having raced together frequently, the duo secured a victory at Bedford Spring Head in 2024 and earned a solid fifth place in the A-final of the Championship Doubles at the Metropolitan Regatta. However, they narrowly missed qualifying for the The Stonor Challenge Trophy at Henley Royal Regatta, finishing as the second-fastest non-qualifiers. This will spur them on in their training this year as they push for more success as a team. But will the time they have spent racing together be enough against this year’s tough competition?
Prediction:
While all four crews bring their own unique set of skills and experience, I think Nottingham Rowing Club and London Rowing Club’s entries will have a closely fought battle to claim the pennant. Since anything can happen on the Tideway, London Rowing Club’s familiarity with the river could give them the edge. Nevertheless, this race is bound to be a close contest and certainly one to watch.
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