The Old Guard Deposed: National Schools’ Regatta In Review

Finally. Finally, I’m able to write this piece. Perhaps the restrictions on our freedom have skewed our internal chronologies, but I for one, feel as though NSR 2019 was at least a lifetime ago. Since then, everything we know has been upended: social butterflies have been reduced to bookworms; the complexities of Teams and Zoom have defeated enthusiastic lecturers. Yet throughout the reign of Covid-19, rowing has remained an invaluable litmus test for anyone attempting to sample the impact of the pandemic on broader society – and today, a new dawn has broken. 

Championship Girl’s Eights:

“Uneasy lies the head that wears the crown.”

The women’s blue-ribbon event was always going to impress. Some crews took a more cautious approach to the morning time trial that would decide only the lanes for the eight-boat final, yet it was already evident at this point that Henley, LEH and Latymer were the crews to watch – a trio predicted by our writers. Indeed, it was these three bastions of junior women’s rowing that led the final from the start and who would separate themselves from the pack as the race progressed. Still, after less than a kilometre, LEH had already disappeared from the peripheries of the Henley and Latymer crews and by the 1,250m mark, it was safe to assume that bar a minor miracle, they had the title sewn up. The tussle for silver drew spectators’ eyes, with Henley and Latymer separated by less than half a second at 1,500 metres. Yet by the time the crews took their final stroke, Henley’s stamina had shown, bringing them a bitter-sweet silver medal. In previous years, this would have been the height of these girls seasons, but with the introduction of the new junior women’s eight at Henley Royal Regatta, there will be no long summers as coaches and athletes alike angle to become the first victor of the latest HRR event. Lady Eleanor Holles will be the favourites for the shiniest piece of silverware in the stewards’ cabinet, but it’s by no means a done deal. Programmes may have decided to taper their crews to peak in early August, meaning those who fell off this event’s rankings could be returning for something spectacular in high summer. Similarly, there remains an eerie unknown for the event, with the uncertainty of eligibility for overseas crews in this event: could we see a foreign eight take this first crown?

Championship Boy’s Eights:

“Be bloody, bold and resolute; laugh to scorn the power of man.”

They laughed when I suggested Eton would take the crown in the Queen Mother: “Give over old bean, none shall outdo St. Paul’s!” is the PG version of the rebuke I garnered from my co-editors after suggesting that the ever-secretive Eton could regain the title for the first time in over a decade. Indeed, after the time trial, I began preparing my concession speech, with the course-record holders – St. Paul’s – establishing a two-second lead over Eton, yet when it mattered, the boys in blue came through. Eton led from the start in the final, establishing a half-length lead over the rest of the field, which opened up to clear water by the halfway point. Meanwhile, race favourites St Paul’s found themselves in a scrap for silver with underdogs KCS – the majority of whom still have a year of junior racing ahead of them. At the line, Kings College School took second, with St. Paul’s being forced to settle for third. Much like in the girl’s event, this leaves several questions unanswered ahead of Henley, though three seem the most pertinent in my mind: 1) Will Eton take the PE? 2) Can KCS maintain their newfound steam? 3) What impact will international eights have on the finish order? I cannot wait to see both the men’s and women’s junior eights at this year’s Henley – both promise much-needed drama. 

Championship Girl’s Quads:

“So every bondman in his own hand bears the power to cancel his captivity.”

“This year won’t be typical,” is how our writer chose to open their preview of this event; little did we know just how true that prediction would ring. I had to do a double-take at the time-trial results page as I squinted through the sun at my screen: Shiplake in front? This was the first time since 2017 that they had entered a girl’s quad at NSR, and my did they impress. Shiplake has, for too long, suffered from the same ailment as the British men’s quad – as Dan Spring put it – the “there or thereabouts” disease. In the case of Shiplake, this hampered the progress of their top boats, often the men’s eight, who could never quite topple the giants at the top of the junior rowing pyramid. It seems, however, that an unlikely remedy for this malady has been discovered in the grounds of Eton Dorney: just boat a women’s quad. By 1,000m into the A final, it was Wallingford who had established dominance – or so they thought. Five hundred metres later, the tables had turned. Wallingford had begun to falter; Henley was out of the picture; Headington and Marlow continued their campaign undeterred; “wildcard” Wycliffe stunned the commentary team with their presence in the peloton, and silent but deadly, Shiplake began their charge. It was a genuinely stunning race and a personal favourite from the weekend, but it begs more questions than it answers, as with the races described above. We know that some of these quads aim to peak for Henley, and as such, are happy to settle for a lower ranking at NSR, whilst for others, a sub-optimal performance may have somewhat deflated spirits.

Championship Boy’s Quads:

“Wake not a sleeping wolf.”

A textbook race, at least according to our predicted finishing order, the boy’s quad rounded out the top events of NSR and didn’t disappoint. The Windsor Boy’s School were to some favourites after a favourable time trial placed them at the top of the A-final, with the power-dense Tideway Scullers crew a second behind. Come the final, and the slightly more sluggish Leander crew would join the dynamic duo to complete a TSS-Windsor boy’s-Leander podium. The race itself, though, may as well have been several disparate competitions, with Henley, Wallingford and Lea fighting for the lower positions, WBS and Scullers battling for gold, whilst Leander demarcated the two. The question of Henley looms over this event more than any other, however. We’ve seen before Windsor Boy’s coming from behind in the Fawley; as such, is this a peak too early or a sign of more substantial things to come? TSS are perhaps the imposters here, having never won* a red box in the junior quad at Henley, whilst the historically dominant clubs – the likes of Sir William Borlase, Claires Court and Marlow – may as well have fallen off the face of the earth: could we see a resurgence here?

Championship Fours:

“Time’s the King of men.”

Despite travelling the farthest of any crews, the Scots have made the most significant impact on both the boy’s and girl’s championship coxless fours. On the girl’s side, it was Glasgow Academy who took the win, despite pundits suggesting a stronger LEH crew would edge them out. The LEH four was the only boat not to make the A final; Walton and Shrewsbury rounded out the podium. For the men, it wasn’t quite a Scottish victory. Still, ASRA did take the establishment by surprise, securing a silver medal behind St Georges and simultaneously relegating St. Paul’s and Hampton and the rest of the old guard to the lower rankings. 

Championship Pairs:

“I defy you, stars.”

Continuing this year’s tradition, the Championship pairs threw up surprises for both the boy’s and girl’s racing. Many expected a substantial performance from Headington on the girl’s side, given this was the only sweep event entered. However, the Oxford-based club would come last in the B-final after a disappointing time trial. The eventual winners – ASRA – were one of the many insurgent crews at this year’s regatta; they were followed across the line by Marlow and Emmanuel School; the rest of the field fell farther back. The boy’s race was equally desperate, with winners, Kings School Canterbury, crossing the line ten seconds ahead of Latymer, who led Radley. The pair’s shape and nature have always been one mired in mystery; indeed, its form changes from year to year. For some, the pair is a convenient spot for spares to get some racing under their belts, whilst for others – the likes of ASRA and KSC – the pair is a boat in which a fast-pair can scoop up pots unchallenged. 

Championship Doubles:

“Expectation is the root of all heartache.”

Much like the pairs – and most other small boats, for that matter – small ‘unknown’ crews can make a splash with a quick start that leaves their opponents blind and demotivated. This appeared to be the strategy employed by Hartpury in the A-final of the girl’s championship doubles, but the crew burnt through their reserves too quickly. By the mid-point of the race, Peterborough had come through, dragging a Claire’s Court duo with them. By the time they crossed the finish, Peterborough had left CCS for dust, with the rest of the race filing in across the line. The fashion of the boy’s race was much the same, with Nottinghamshire CRA securing a comfortable gold over Kings Ely and Hampton School who snuck under the wire for a bronze. 

Championship Singles:

“I would give all my fame for a pot of ale and safety.”

The boy’s championship single time from 2007 is the second-oldest standing record at NSR. It was set in 2007 by Charles Cousins, who would appear on the start line of Dorney again in 2012, this time in the three-seat of the British quad (they would miss out on a medal by mere seconds). This is no fluke. Take a moment to look down the list of winners, and you’ll see a pattern emerging: this is where legends are born. If you take a gold medal in this event, the relative chances of you sporting a GB vest one day – if you haven’t already – are reasonably high. Nine’s Laura Burton took the gold medal on the women’s side, perhaps not surprising given her impressive finish at the British Rowing Virtual Championships earlier this year. Edward Fuller of Exeter rowing club took the gold on the men’s side, demonstrating once again that it is often the smaller boats that are the most likely to yield surprising results.

*Yes, we’re aware that they technically won in a 2004 composite with Marlow, but for the purpose of this article, we’re discounting this.

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