St Edward’s School, Junior Men’s Eight
As achievements go, it is hard to understate the magnitude of winning both the National Schools’ Regatta and Henley Royal Regatta. In schoolboy eights, these are the premier prizes and in 2023 St Edward’s swept all before them in a magnificent summer of racing. After so many years as bridesmaid, Jonny Singfield’s boys finally climbed that last step to the top of the podium and their rivalry with St Paul’s School – who were twice runners-up at the aforementioned events – was something magical to behold. A worthy nominee and certainly one of the country’s stand-out boats.
Leander Club, Junior Men’s Quad
If it weren’t for a particularly potent crosswind at the National Schools’ Regatta, there is a strong chance that Leander might have completed the triple in schoolboy sculling. As it were, they finished third but bounced back to dominate the Fawley Challenge Cup, having already wrapped up victories at the Fours Head, Schools’ Head of the River, Junior Sculling Head, Wallingford Regatta and Marlow Regatta. It’s pretty to hard to ignore a crew that only lost once all year in open competition.
Wycliffe Junior Rowing Club, Junior Girl’s Quad
Although they stumbled at the final hurdle, there is no point under-estimating the scale of Wycliffe’s success in the 22/23 season. After tearing open the Headington-Henley duopoly at the Schools’ Head of the River, their fastest foursome hopped into the quad and triumphed at the Junior Sculling Regatta, National Schools’ Regatta and Henley Women’s Regatta. They were defeated in the final of the Diamond Jubilee Challenge Cup by a resurgent unit from the Tideway Scullers School, but the swathe of athletes who have gone on to compete for Great Britain speaks volumes about Greg Flower’s program.
Headington School, Junior Girl’s Eight
This was arguably Headington’s strongest season in quite a while. Although they won the Prince Philip Challenge Trophy at Henley Royal Regatta in 2021, that year was heavily disrupted by Covid-19 and a total absence of international competition. Fast forward to 2023 and their victories at the Women’s Head of the River, National Schools’ Regatta and Henley Women’s Regatta put them firmly on the map as the fastest junior girl’s eight in the country. They also progressed the furthest at Henley Royal Regatta, losing out on the Saturday to eventual winners from Greenwich Crew, USA.
Briony Wood (Glasgow Academy), Junior Girl’s Single Scull + Coxed Four
When 14-year-old Briony Wood begun her 22/23 campaign, not even her most optimistic supporters could have predicted the incredible season she would put together. After dominating the Championship Girls Single at the National Schools’ Regatta – winning her final by nearly ten seconds – she jumped into a coxed four to take the Groton School Challenge Cup at Henley Women’s Regatta. Not yet finished, she then went on to win a frankly ridiculous three golds medals at the British Rowing Junior Championships (WJ151x, WJ181x and WJ154x+) before comfortably winning the GB-France match in her single. A frankly ridiculous year for the young Glaswegian and she must now surely be considered a future prospect for international glory.
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