After the disappointing cancellation of Junior 15 events at Hammersmith Head, Schools’ Head of The River will be the first time in the season that newly sweeping crews from all over the country can compare speed. For many crews, the 4.2 miles of historic course will be their first time on the Tideway; for others, it will be nothing new. This very event was cancelled last year, making this edition harder to predict and, therefore, more exciting.
King’s College School
Last year’s King’s College School J15s were not afraid to crown themselves as the fastest-ever KCS Junior 15 crew on their Instagram, but after an impressive victory at Quintin Head by almost eight seconds, the current J15s could pose a threat to this title. Not only this, but this boat is right off the back of a win at Kingston Head, where they overhauled Radley by over 22 seconds.
St Paul’s School
A school that is always competitive at any level of junior rowing, it would be impossible not to mention them. At Quintin Head the top Junior 15 St Paul’s School crew finished in second, only eight seconds behind King’s College School. If, however, their Quintin entries were matched boats, as they were last year, they may reveal some hidden speed in a top boat at the Schools’ Head of The River race. Winners in 2022 and 2023, St Pauls will look to make this a third Junior 15 victory in a row.
Radley College
Similar to the first two on this list, Radley have a history of exceptionally fast Junior 15 crews. In their first major appearance of the season, Radley finished a strong second at Kingston Head, beating the likes of Hampton and Bedford. The depth Radley have to offer at Junior 15 level is also notable, with three eights entered for Schools’ Head of The River, just a week after all three of these eights produced very respectable results at Kingston Head.
Hampton School
Hampton School don’t often sweep the field and outperform every other crew on the start list, but they almost always place in strong positions and force crews out of complacency by pushing the top every time. This was again evident at Kingston Head, where Hampton finished in a strong third, eight seconds behind Radley College, making them a crew to watch this Tuesday.
Honourable Mentions
Westminster is one of the schools that boasts an advantage of Tideway experience, which is even more helpful in a Junior 15 setting, where many crews and coxes will have none. Reading Blue Coat will look to replicate or outdo the success of their previous Junior 15 crew, and this is the first opportunity for them to prove they are up to the challenge.
Prediction
King’s College School will take the title based on their victories at Quintin and Kingston. Behind them, I expect St Paul’s School to be in the running for second as a class competitor in the bracket whilst Radley College will likely place third.
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