Welcoming the summer season with open arms is Wallingford Regatta, a prestigious Dorney event which will see a staggering number of juniors compete over the 2000 metre course. While the weather heats up, so too does the racing as we eagerly approach the most exhilarating events of the year such as National Schools’ Regatta and the Henley series. At Wallingford, seasoned contenders and emerging talents alike have entered the women’s junior eights, promising yet another electrifying display of skill, determination and aggressive competition.
Headington
It wouldn’t be a prediction without mentioning Headington. The club has enjoyed a constant stream of success over the past few years, including forming part of the winning crew at the U19 trials regatta in April to recently winning the junior pennants at both the Women’s Head of the River and Schools’ Head of the River. Headington’s ‘A’ crew is undeniably and unapologetically successful, and it’ll be a challenge for clubs to knock them off their podium. However, it must be noted that really strong crews, such as Hinksey, Marlow and Henley, are dusting off the cobwebs on their boats and seem to be closing the gap. While Headington continue to set a formidable pace, it may take a little more to hold off up and coming competition.
Hinksey
As previously mentioned, Hinksey are a crew which may very well knock Headington off their winning streak. This is a truly star-studded crew including many, if not a majority, of GB trialists and GB representatives, with a stunning focus on technique and raw speed. Those in the crew which have not decided to trial are not to be overlooked, as Hinksey is well renowned for producing some of the best junior rowers in the country. Narrowly coming second at WEHORR to Headington by just three seconds, it’ll be interesting to see if a shorter course plays in their advantage and they can get ahead and claim this crucial win.
Henley
Henley has been rightfully recognised as a club which can produce high-performance crews and athletes time and time again. Their sweep team has seen some solid performances this season, with their top four winning at Wallingford head, and their eight winning at Quintin Head. They were also third at the National Schools’ Regatta last year. The number of wins should give Henley some confidence coming into this regatta. Personally, I think they need something extra to overcome the competition, but after a brief break from seeing these eights race, perhaps they’ve found that extra speed and will claim a top position.
Surbiton
Surbiton has steadily been making waves in schoolgirls racing. A second place in the championship eight at the National Schools’ Regatta last year alongside consistently good results for their younger J16 crews should give this club a lot of confidence. Despite a few of their top rowers and coaches leaving last year, they continue to showcase their talents, notably at the U19 trials regatta with one of their girls coming second overall. This proves the club is still churning out elite athletes, and what they need to do now is bring together the years of experience and talent that is rooted within the club and pour it into their eight. Surbiton has proved before that they can produce outstanding results, and this is their chance to prove they’re still a giant amongst women’s junior eights.
Notable Mentions
With a few clubs dominating last year’s sweep scene, it can be easy to overlook centres that produce eights worthy of a fighting chance. Latymer Upper, Lady Eleanor Holles, St Edwards and Marlow may be underdogs in this competition but when these clubs are at their peak they produce stunning crews and athletes. Time still remains for clubs such as these to come out and prove their speed and worth in the UK rowing community.
Prediction
I believe that we could possibly see a two-way battle for victory between Headington and Hinksey. The evidence all points toward Headington to win, but I believe that we could be near a shift in power to another club. If Henley is not amongst these top crews, I think they will finish within the top three. I’m hopeful that Marlow and Lady Eleanor Holles may prove me wrong and come in to join the top dogs in this competition. With all eyes on this notoriously competitive category, we are on the precipice of another blockbuster summer of racing.
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