With Storm Bert having caused regatta cancelling conditions on the Tideway right in time for the Fours Head, we look ahead and hope the rest of the head racing calendar won’t be affected. Up on the River Tyne, Rutherford Head promises a double division regatta of head racing, with eights, fours and quads on the scene. How do the senior open quads stack up this year? And who will come out on top?
Nottingham University Boat Club
Nottingham University Boat Club are the only club to enter more than one crew here, with a staggering three crews! Not seen in recent years in this event, but Nottingham University are known for their sharp sculling work and fast quads. With a fifth-place finish in the open championship quads at BUCS regatta this year, they’re hot off being A-finalists in the best of the nation’s quads. An eighth place in the intermediate quads at BUCS regatta also shows their depth, and their influx of recruits means they are likely to continue this trend.
Durham Univerisity Boat Club
Durham University Boat Club (DUBC) has a reputation for its breadth of talent in sweeping and sculling. At last season’s BUCS Regatta, DUBC claimed a bronze medal in the open championship quads. A strong University for rowing, their club has been on a positive upward trend in recent years and is out to be a highly competitive club against the likes of Newcastle, Imperial and London. A win at Rutherford Head would be the start of the season they are looking for.
Edinburgh University Boat Club
Edinburgh University Boat Club’s most recent result in this category was a second-place finish in 2022. As they are well rehearsed in getting good times on this river stretch, the question is whether they have improved since then or whether the inflow of new athletes hasn’t matched the outflow. Certainly a contender for a medal, Edinburgh cannot be ignored.
Tees Rowing Club
Having sat behind Edinburgh University in the medals, Tees Rowing Club (Tees RC) saw a third-place finish in 2022. Tees RC is predominantly a sculling club with a nice stretch of water on the River Tees. They have many wide sections to practice side-by-side work, providing excellent practice for multilane racing and strengthening their athletes.
Predictions
Durham University Boat Club are my pick for the winners, though they will be followed closely by Nottingham University Boat Club’s first crew. Both possess winning potential and are a step above the rest of the competition, but Durham’s superior training likely gives them the edge to take the win. Edinburgh University Boat Club will take third, with a match between Tees Rowing Club and Nottingham University Boat Club’s second crew for fourth.
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