Rutherford Head is one of the highlights of the head racing calendar for many clubs and universities in the North of England. Growing year-on-year, it has become one of the most awaited and contested races of the Winter season, attracting some of the biggest names in university rowing alongside clubs from further afield. The 4500-metre course provides an opportunity early in the season for crews to test their speed against their rivals, and the women’s quads category, in particular, promises fierce competition.
Newcastle University Boat Club
Northern powerhouse Newcastle University Boat Club, winners of Band one last year, has its sights set on another win. Despite being a predominantly sweep-based programme, Newcastle has proved itself to be at the top of university women’s quads. At BUCS Regatta last year, they won gold in both the championship and intermediate categories in an impressive display of talent and squad depth, and the first step to replicating this success is dominance at Rutherford.
A crew with a wealth of experience together, Newcastle ‘A’ will be leading the pack. This crew won championship quads at BUCS Regatta before being invited to Shanghai to compete at the Rose Regatta, where they beat many top international crews to win a silver medal. In the stroke seat is Rachel Bradley, a well-known name in the university and U23 sculling scene. Bradley’s impressive portfolio includes a bronze medal at the Junior World Rowing Championships and four international vests for Great Britain, and she looks set to build on her international career, having recently placed as the third U23 at November Trials. The middle pair of the quad consists of Harriet Taylor and Lucy Thomson, who trialled together last year, placing as the sixth U23 pair at the Final Trials. Thomson has also represented Great Britain internationally, winning gold and silver at Coupe de la Jeunesse in the double sculls in 2022. Both Taylor and Thomson were part of Newcastle’s first-ever eight and women’s crew to make A-final at Henley Royal Regatta after a series of thrilling races, one of them going on to win JRN’s Race of the Year. Steering the crew is captain Holly Youd, who on her international debut at the ‘mega worlds’ in Canada, claimed victory in the U23 women’s pair. Also, having been instrumental in the Blue Star’s impressive BUCS Regatta quads campaign, Youd is no stranger to sculling success after winning the Rosie Mayglothing Trophy at Henley Women’s Regatta in 2021.
Newcastle’s past season of success has made them a magnet for some of the brightest rising talents in rowing, several of whom now form this crew. Stroking the ‘B’ quad is the talented sculler Alice Metcalf, who was part of Tideway Scullers School’s victorious crew in The Diamond Jubilee Challenge Cup at Henley Royal Regatta in 2023. Joining her in this full-fresher line-up are Amelie Parker, a Schools’ Head of the River Race silver medallist; Becca Wearmouth, a British indoor rowing record holder; and Hermione Brewster, a Henley Women’s Regatta winner. Despite three of the four crew members being newcomers to the Tyne, this crew is poised to challenge expectations and upset the competition.
University of Nottingham Boat Club
Nottingham University Boat Club have early evidence of squad depth, having entered three quads, all of which have enough ranking points to be allocated to band one. Emma Stewart and Eve Strong won a silver medal at BUCS Regatta last season as part of Nottingham’s intermediate lightweight women’s quad and appear to feature in crews 54 and 56. While little is known about crew 51 ‘Walsh,’ they have been placed second in the start order, suggesting an abundance of ranking points and experience between them, highlighting them as possible contenders for victory.
Edinburgh University BC
Coming off the back of an incredible Henley Royal Regatta campaign where they managed to qualify three eights for The Island Challenge Cup, Edinburgh University Boat Club will be hoping their momentum carries them to victory in this category. With Edinburgh placing their focus on coxed and coxless fours for Rutherford, I would expect their sole quad to be made up of their top scullers, but as no surname has been attributed to the crew, Edinburgh may be looking to keep their speed a secret and surprise the opposition on the day.
Durham University Boat Club
Another big name in university sculling, Durham University Boat Club, will try to trump their local rivals this weekend. Having recently won two golds and a bronze at Tyne United Long Distance Sculling and Small Boats Head, Durham’s dress rehearsal of the course will likely come in handy as they build into this weekend’s racing. Having only entered one quad, I can only assume that Durham’s crew contains their most talented scullers, one of whom is Clio Pantelides, who is new to Durham this year. Pantelides was selected as the women’s reserve for the Coupe de la Jeunesse this year, and after placing fourth in the spares race on the Friday, she managed to outcompete her opposition and win bronze on Sunday. If the remaining three have such international experience, they will be a competitive crew this weekend.
Prediction
Still carrying the momentum of a historic Henley Royal Regatta campaign, Newcastle University Boat Club ‘A’ looks to be the frontrunner for the top spot. While an outright upset by Newcastle University Boat Club ‘B’ seems unlikely, seeing how close the competition gets as the younger rowers battle for seats in the top boat will be interesting. Another crew with a home water advantage, I expect that Durham University Boat Club might have the edge over Edinburgh University Boat Club and Nottingham University Boat Club, but what they are looking to do is top the tables and outright win the competition.
Despite band two crews typically containing lesser-known athletes, the University of York Boat Club, Leeds University Boat Club, and Leeds Rowing Club are known to produce competitive crews at the beginner and intermediate levels, and so I anticipate that we’ll see these names at the top of the rankings.
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