Quintin Head is one of the biggest Tideway eights rowing events of the year and marks the start of the winter racing season. This race once again acts as a testament to which crews have weathered the challenges of flooding and sub-zero temperatures over the recent months. With its reputation as a key early-season indicator, it has drawn in strong championship women’s eights who will seek to set the tone for the year ahead.
University of London Boat Club
University of London Boat Club (ULBC) enters this race as a home favourite, boasting a crew filled with notable talent and experience. At stroke sits Jessie Martin, women’s captain, who claimed U23 gold in the women’s coxless four last summer. Behind her, at seven, is Aoife Casey, a former competitor in the Irish lightweight double sculls at the Paris Olympics. Both a teammate to Eoife on the Irish team and at ULBC, Emily Hegarty also brings strength to the crew as a bronze medallist in the Irish coxless four at the 2020 Olympics, who also completed more recently in Paris. Finally, the crew’s cox brings significant pedigree to the Tideway, having previously won Junior Worlds in the Junior Girls’ Eight. If this was not enough of a threat, four athletes in this crew were also part of last year’s team that reached the semi-finals of Henley Royal Regatta’s Island Challenge Cup. Recent results solidify the strength of ULBC’s women’s eights, including a fourth-place finish at the Women’s Head of the River in 2024. Ultimately, ULBC appears to be the crew to beat.
Imperial College Boat Club
A classic rivalry between Imperial College Boat Club and the University of London Boat Club adds an exciting dynamic to this category, but this time Imperial may find themselves trailing slightly. Despite an impressive triple win at Henley Women’s Regatta in 2023, their more recent results have fallen just short of podium finishes. Last year, they placed fifth at Quintin Head and fourth at BUCS Fours and Eights Head. However, Imperial’s Women’s Eights Head of the River 2024 result saw them sandwiched between London Rowing Club’s A and B crews, which may serve as extra motivation to climb the ranks. With past success and a history of strong showings, Imperial looks set to deliver a competitive performance, though they might not match ULBC’s firepower on this occasion.
London Rowing Club
London Rowing Club (LRC) has entered two crews into this category, Hellard Timm and Saary, doubling their chances of capitalising on their home-water advantage. LRC’s women’s squad have been steadily climbing the ranks, showcased by their landmark performance at the 2024 Henley Royal Regatta, where they reached the final of the Wargrave Challenge Cup. Notably, this was the first time in the club’s history that they progressed past the first round of the event, making their entry into the final all the more remarkable. After some long-distance winter practice via the Annual Remenham Challenge last month, they will likely remain a team to watch at Quintin on their wider entry to the 24/25 season.
Headington School Oxford Boat Club
There is no doubt that Headington made a splash last season. As recent winners of the Prince Philip Challenge Trophy at Henley Royal Regatta, and winners of Schools’ Head of the River 2024, it looks as if there was no type of race that the Headington women’s eight failed to master. More recently, eleven Headington oarswomen qualified for the GB Early ID Trials in November, with five making the top twenty out of 118 athletes. The wider squad also escaped the UK floods to train on the water in Spain, ensuring they are race-ready. However, their youth and inexperience in senior categories may inevitably prove challenging in this event. Nonetheless, with both the stroke and cox of UL’s eight being ex-Headington girls, they will want to follow them down the course as closely as possible.
Conclusion
The absence of Leander Club – previous winners and runners-up in this category – creates an exciting opportunity for a new name to be engraved on the trophy. University of London Boat Club seems to stand as the favourite to win on this occasion, bringing a combination of Olympic-calibre talent and cohesive team dynamics to the 4.6-kilometre race. London Rowing Club’s continued ascent and Imperial College Boat Club’s consistent competitiveness add intrigue to the mix, and I suspect that London Rowing Club may be runners-up again at Quintin Head. Lastly, Headington School Oxford Boat Club will definitely showcase their potential and will be looking to chase these more senior crews for a quick time, but their main competition remains in a different category entirely.
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