The provincial club pennant provides an exciting opportunity for non-Tideway-based clubs, with the award going to the fastest crew that comes from a single British Club located away from the river Thames and outside of the M25. The level of competition for pennants strongly varies year on year, with the group comprising of crews who are eligible across a host of race categories including senior, challenge, masters and beginner.
Nottingham RC
The top senior eight from Nottingham RC won this pennant when the Women’s Hights Head of the River was last held in 2018, and will no doubt be looking to hold onto it for the next year. Given their strong performances on the Tideway so far this season, taking third in the women’s club quad and fourth in the Club Coxless Four at the Fours Head, the women from Nottingham seem well placed to mount a defence for their title.
Cantabrigian RC
Cantabrigian RC is another club that I would expect to be in the fight for the pennant. They have two crews entered in the senior category who are eligible for the pennant, demonstrating good depth in their women’s squad. They have also produced strong results this season, finishing less than a second behind Nottingham in the quad at Fours Head, and more recently, winning the intermediate eight events at Hammersmith Head, while their championship eight came third. Having also won club crew of the year at the British Rowing Awards, it would be exciting to see this crew really assert their mark on the club rowing scene by taking the provincial club pennant.
Agecroft RC
Normally one of the more dominant clubs on the domestic rowing scene, the 2021/22 season has been relatively quiet for the Agecroft women’s squad, with no entries into the Fours Head. Despite this, they have two crews eligible for the pennant, with one eight in the challenge category, and another in the senior category, suggesting a good level of experience and ability amongst their crews. It will be interesting to see what result these crews can produce at the weekend and whether they can maintain the right to claim a top 50 finish at the women’s eights head of the river.
Tyne ARC
Tyne ARC has been laying down some good markers this season, competing at lots of races and private matches, and producing competitive results. On their home stretch at Rutherford Head, they placed fifth in Band 1 Women’s Eights behind two fast Tideway Scullers eights, as well as Newcastle and Edinburgh University. While there aren’t any results from the recent Tideway races, there is no doubt that their hard training and race preparation in Newcastle will give them the opportunity to lay down a fast time.
Prediction
Given the recent dominance of Cantabrigian RC women’s squad, particularly at Tideway based races, I would expect them to win the pennant at this year’s event. While many of the eligible clubs have been able to enter two or more eights into the race, the top placings of Cantabrigian’s eights in both an intermediate and championship event demonstrate that they are potentially one step above the rest of the field this time.
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