Next Monday, the Tideway will play host to the best schoolboy eights that the UK has to offer. School’s Head is the first step of the notorious triple, which for junior sweep oarsmen comprises the School’s Headship, a Championship Eights National School’s Regatta gold and finally victory in the Princess Elizabeth Challenge Cup at Henley Royal Regatta. St Paul’s were the last crew to successfully win the triple in 2018.
Shiplake
Shiplake have a track record of producing impressive results at tideway races. Fresh off a win at the controversial Hammersmith Head last weekend, they’ll be looking to continue this form into the first major race of the season. After a disappointing Henley for the boys eight in the Princess Elizabeth Challenge Cup, getting knocked out by US national champions St Joe’s Prep on the Thursday, Shiplake will be keen to turn the tide on their recent Henley results and bring home that ever illusive Henley win in the P.E. The Schools’ Headship would be a great way to start.
St Pauls
In the past 5 years, St Pauls, under the watch of Bobby Thatcher, have produced some infamous schoolboy eights. Their strongest contingent, the aforementioned crop of the 2017/18 season, won a remarkable Triple and set multiple records on their way to doing so. After losing in the final at Henley last year to an incredibly strong Eton College crew, St Paul’s will be looking to reach the summit of junior rowing once again. As a tideway club, St Paul’s will have intimate knowledge of the river and how to extract those precious extra seconds against their opposition.
Eton College
The powerhouse of schoolboy rowing in the last 2 years, Eton have won the last two Henley Royal Regatta’s in the schoolboy eights as well as the Championship Eight’s category at the National Schools’ Regatta in 2021. Their facilities are phenomenal and their coaching staff regularly produce crews capable of challenging at the very top of the domestic scene. Perhaps the most impressive thing about Eton is their consistency – it is rare to see the boys from Berkshire not in and amongst the fastest the UK has to offer.
Radley College Boat Club
Undoubtedly one of the most consistent clubs on the schoolboy rowing circuit, the last couple of years has seen Radley undergo a rebuilding phase following a disappointing Henley campaign and NSR 2021. A strong showing at Hammersmith Head, where the crew finished fourth in Championship Eights and beat both London Rowing Club crews plus St Pauls, and a solid 5th at Quintin Head shows that the boys in red and white are back amongst it. The current crop has benefited from the arrival of Cameron Tasker (current British record holder for the 15-16 one-minute ergo) and JSR 2021 Op J16 2x bronze medalist Adam Fowler who will undoubtedly provide some useful power in the boat. Traditionally, Radley boats tend to peak around the end of the year, usually finishing in the top ten or top four (as was the case in 2019). It remains to be seen whether Radley can shake off, by their standards, their rather chequered formbook at recent Schools Heads outings. One thing is certain, however – this crew will be hungry to right some wrongs and take it to the other boats from the outset.
Kings College School Boat Club
The past two or three years has seen Kings College School Boat Club firmly establish itself as a frontrunner on the junior men’s rowing circuit. A silver medal in the final of Championship Boys Eights at NSR 2021 was followed by a win at Fours Head in Op Sch 4+ and at Hampton Head, and a second-placed finish at Hammersmith Head. Without getting carried away, KCS seems to have graduated from middle-of-the-road schools rowing to top tier over the past few seasons. Although the speed of Shiplake and Eton will prove challenging, KCS will no doubt feel comfortable on their home turf, ready to prove that they are the very best boys eight in Britain.
St Edwards School Boat Club
Hailing from Oxford, St Edward School Boat Club, informally known as “Teddies”, seem to have regained some of the form that saw them make two consecutive Princess Elizabeth Challenge Cup finals at the start of the last decade. A PE semi-final during the summer of 2021 has been built upon with a win at Quintin Head, a second place at Hammersmith Head, and a further win at BASHER – their rise to prominence is no fluke. Teddies clearly have ample talent, not least GB trialist Josh Branagan. A top-five finish is not beyond their grasp and it may even be that these boys are eyeing even more after a strong start to 2022 but the competition is fierce and Teddies will absolutely need
St Joseph’s College Rowing Club, Ireland
When it comes to going from A to B and pulling like a dog, St Joseph’s College Rowing Club, also known as “ The Bish” from Galway, can lay claim to doing it better than most. Their 16 wins at the Junior National Championships (NSR equivalent) in the Men’s Junior 8+, far and away the most of any school, suggests that the Irish are sending their very best and that they are in it to win it. With St Joseph’s being the only school from Ireland in the category this year, as strong Northern Irish schools Enniskillen Royal Boat Club and Methodist College Belfast have chosen to concentrate on the First Eights, St Joseph’s will face the might of British schoolboy rowing. However, if recent history is any indication, they should be well in the mix.
Other mentions
Windsor Boys’ turned their attention to sweep for the first time and ended up winning the junior eights at Hammersmith Head. Could this be the start of a sweeping programme and could it rival their phenomenal sculling set-up? We shall have to see.
Predictions
As with most years, there are any number of crews that could take home the top prize. On current form, one would expect Shiplake to either win or produce a top-three finish, given that they haven’t finished outside it since 2015. The same goes for Eton, who have a similar record of finishing in the top three, despite not winning the event since 2010. St Paul’s will also look to keep themselves in contention for a 7th consecutive top-three finish, unmatched by the rest of the field. In terms of the rest of the top five, KCS, Radley and St Edwards will all look to be in the mix, with KCS perhaps having the best chance (having come within 2 seconds of Shiplake at Hammersmith Head). Radley and St Edwards will battle to round out the top five.
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