The flagship event of the head racing season is upon us. The Women’s Eights Head of the River Race marks the culmination of the head racing season before preparations begin for the busy regatta racing calendar.
Of the 324 crews racing on Saturday, 18 are competing in the Senior University category. Crews in this category are eligible to win two separate pennants. The Senior Pennant is awarded to the highest-placed crew whose members are all below ‘international standard’, meaning that no rower may have competed internationally at the U23 or senior level within the last three years, and no more than three members of last year’s winning crew can be present in the crew this year. The University Pennant is awarded to the highest-placed crew from a single higher education institute.
The famous course from Mortlake to Putney (The Boat Race course in reverse) facilitates just over four miles of racing, and with the variables of stream, tide, other crews and the winding River Thames, the ability of the coxswain to read the conditions and find the fastest line can have a big impact on results. The Tideway is infamous for its ability to host biblical conditions; however, the conditions this weekend are forecast to be warm and sunny, with almost negligible wind speeds peaking at seven miles per hour.
Newcastle University Boat Club ‘A’
The eternal tussle for northern bragging rights rages on between Newcastle and their fierce rivals from Durham. Both programmes seem to undercut the other, as one takes one headship before the other takes the next. Their contests were written into rowing folklore last summer, when the Blue Star underwent a quite sensational Henley Royal Regatta campaign, making the final of The Island Challenge Cup after rowing down several crews during earlier rounds. U23 world champion Holly Youd will lead them into battle in 2025 and she’ll be backed up by a number of athletes whose craft has been slowly and meticulously honed at one of the country’s premier student rowing programmes.
Edinburgh University Boat Club
A programme renowned for their squad depth and excellence at all levels, Edinburgh managed to qualify three eights for the Island Challenge Cup at Henley Royal Regatta last year. A mere ten seconds separated their first and second eights at WEHoRR in 2024, where they placed 13th and 16th respectively. A more significant margin of 41 seconds separated the two crews at BUCS Head two weeks ago, where Edinburgh won bronze medals in both the Championship and Intermediate Eights. At Rutherford Head in late November, Edinburgh finished 13.3 seconds behind Newcastle, but narrowed this down to 8.4 seconds at BUCS Head. Given Edinburgh’s trajectory of progress, coupled with the fact that this season they have only conceded to the first eights of Newcastle and Durham (who are ineligible for the Senior University category) Edinburgh now stand in pole position to claim victory in this category.
Cambridge University Boat Club ‘B‘
WEHoRR marks six weeks and one day before the pinnacle of Cambridge University Boat Club’s season: The Boat Race. With numerous fixtures on the Tideway, the Light Blues will be well-versed in racing on the River Thames over the past few months, equipping them with a competitive edge over most of their rivals. In their recent fixture against Putney powerhouse Thames Rowing Club, the Cambridge ‘Blondie’ (reserve) crew put three lengths into Thames ‘B’ in the first half-course piece, extending this lead to four lengths in the second. The last time Cambridge sent their Blondie crew to WEHoRR was in 2018, when they placed an impressive 8th overall. Given that Cambridge have established such sizable leads over Thames ‘B’, who placed 8th overall last year, it seems that a top-ten finish is certainly within reach for Blondie this year.
University of Bristol Boat Club ‘A‘
To say that the progression curve of Bristol’s first eight is steep would be an understatement: between WEHoRR in 2023 and 2024, they climbed 36 positions up the ladder, moving from 72nd to 36th overall. Only a fortnight ago, Bristol made their maiden voyage to Newcastle to race at BUCS Head, where their results didn’t disappoint. In the first division, Bristol claimed gold in the women’s intermediate eights, before winning a second gold medal in the intermediate coxed fours in Division Two. With momentum behind them and the drive to continue making history for their club, Bristol appear more than capable of breaking into the top 25 overall.
Newcastle University Boat Club ‘B‘
Newcastle’s second eight recently won silver in the Intermediate Eights at BUCS Head, posting a time that would have placed them fourth in the Championship category. Having yet to concede to either of their Northern rivals, Edinburgh or Durham, this season, they will be hoping to extend their streak of dominance. At BUCS Head, Newcastle proved themselves to have the fastest women’s first, second, third, and fourth eights in the country and will be looking to maintain this superiority away from their home water. After finishing 35th overall last year, the Blue Star’s relentless approach to racing will see them aim to break into the top 25.
Imperial College Boat Club ‘A‘
Many clubs face the challenge of managing river flooding and difficult conditions, but the Tideway can be a different kettle of fish altogether. The only crew in this cohort with the home-water advantage, Imperial College’s watermanship and experience could be the key to unlocking success. At BUCS Head, Imperial secured a fourth-place finish in the Championship Eights, but it was their result in the women’s Championship Coxed Four that set them apart from the rest of the field, winning a silver medal 51 seconds ahead of the bronze medallists. After finishing 25th overall in 2024, Imperial will be looking to make strides and prove to the competition that the Tideway is their territory.
Durham University Boat Club ‘B‘
Durham University Boat Club’s second eight placed 31st overall last year, securing fifth in the Senior University category. The drive to perform this weekend and defeat their biggest rivals will stem from the fourth-place position Durham recently found themselves in in the Women’s Intermediate Eights at BUCS Head. WEHoRR will mark only the second time the crew has raced together this season, and with a recent rehearsal under their belt, the competition could be in for a surprise with the speeds this crew may be able to produce after spending some time training together.
Prediction
Despite Bristol’s recent success and continual progress, the 37-second margin between them and Edinburgh at BUCS Head seems like a gap too great to close in the space of a fortnight. With favourable conditions expected, Imperial’s home-field advantage is unlikely to significantly impact the results, though I do believe their coxswain’s line should be among the best, helping them find the most efficient route from Mortlake to Putney. While the results from BUCS Head don’t position Nottingham University Boat Club as a frontrunner for the Senior University category, their performance last year — 26th overall and fourth in this category — suggests they could still cause an upset come Saturday.
For the top spot, I think it will be a toss-up between the pedigree of rowers in Edinburgh and Newcastle’s first boats and the extensive Tideway experience of the Cambridge Blondie crew. With Cambridge starting later in the pack, the motivation and adrenaline of overtaking crews ahead could provide the momentum they need to work their way up the rankings and establish themselves as victors this weekend.
As the Senior and University pennants are open to crews outside this category, it is possible that none of the mentioned crews will claim one. Given Cambridge’s recent dominance over Thames ‘B’– who won the Senior Pennant in 2024- it seems likely the Senior Pennant winner will come from this category, though the University Pennant is less likely to be claimed by any of these crews.
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