Fours Head, despite being cancelled due to inclement weather for the last two years, remains a prime early-season opportunity to weigh up the opposition on the national racing scene. With Junior Fours Head taking place for the first time this year, the club-level events have expanded in numbers; meanwhile, the championship coxed fours remains steady, with 11 entries this year compared to ten in 2022. The event is, as usual, dominated by a small number of Thames Valley clubs, with City of Cambridge RC providing the only provincial competition.
Leander Club
The Pink Palace’s only entry in this event is crammed with big names. Georgie Robinson-Ranger, a new face at Leander, who is fresh from a Scullers Head victory in the championship single, is joined by 2025 World Championships competitor Lizzie Witt, 2025 WEHORR winner Lauren Carey, and Katherine George, who recently placed second at GB November trials. Robinson-Ranger, Carey, George, and cox Jack Tottem all recently raced for Leander at Head of the Charles Regatta in the championship eight, implying that this could be both a strong and cohesive crew. However, with plenty of firepower in the boats behind, they will need to give a very impressive performance to come out on top.
Thames Rowing Club
As ever, Thames RC are definitely in the mix, with a serious array of talent across their two boats entered here. Their first crew, containing 2025 Henley finalist Rachel Bradley, double Henley winner and U23 gold medallist Hope Cessford, and 2025 Bridge Challenge Plate winners Darla Matthews, Chloe Brew, and Zahir Ala, is an exceptional combination – one that will very likely challenge Leander throughout the race. Their second boat, made up of athletes from their Wargrave ‘A’, ‘B’, and ‘C’ crews last season, may not be in contention for the win, but with the depth of the women’s squad at Thames (and their undeniable home-water advantage on the ever-changing Tideway) they are sure to challenge the academic crews in the middle of the field.
Molesey Boat Club
Molesey’s women are firmly on the rise; one of the most prolific clubs on the entries list for Fours Head in 2025, this Thames Valley juggernaut continues to gain speed. Their entries in the championship coxed fours are, unsurprisingly, stacked. In the first boat, Heloise Wormleighton and Holly Dunford, who recently placed 6th and 14th respectively at GB November trials, are joined by Flo Donald from their winning 2025 Wargrave crew (along with Wormleighton), and 2025 World Championships competitor Jade Lindo. I fully expect this combination to give Thames and Leander a serious run for their money – after their recent second-place finish in the championship eight at the Head of the Charles Regatta, it’s clear that this squad is going from strength to strength.
Oxford University Boat Club
With four entries into the category, Oxford University Boat Club arrive in force to make their mark on the Championship Course this weekend. With their top outfit set to contain alumni and recent World Rowing Championships bronze medalists, Amelia Standing and Martha Birtles, the dark blues are certainly not to be slept on. Sarah Marshall is another strong addition to the top Oxford boat, having recently finished seventh in the single at GBRT November trials, and Lilli Freischem and Louis Corrigan both add to Marshall’s extensive Boat Race experience. Looking down the Oxford roster, there’s plenty of depth through their entries, also featuring the likes of former Stanford lightweight Emily Molins, and twice Coupe de la Jeunesse medallist, Phoebe Forward, who has the Boat Race in her blood through numerous family connections. I certainly hope to see a strong showing from Oxford this weekend in what will prove to be an important marker this side of Christmas.
University of London
With international vests a plenty, the premier outfit from the University of London could certainly be one to watch. Stroked by Saskia Delray, featuring Samy and Gaby Morton in middle pair, and with Irish Olympic bronze medallist Emily Hegarty in the bow seat, I certainly wouldn’t be surprised to see this crew from the purple palace looking to challenge for the top spots. Steered by U19 World Champion Sophie Wrightson, the crew from UL will be looking to assert their dominance on home water. Samy Morton has already seen success here, having stroked the winning Cambridge crew in the 2025 Boat Race, while both Delray and Hegarty featured in the UL offering that reached the semi-finals of the Town Challenge Cup at Henley Royal Regatta. With bags of experience, it’ll be exciting to see how this combination can come together at the weekend.
Prediction
I suspect this will be a three-way fight to the finish between Leander, Thames and Molesey. While the start and finish orders could very well remain the same, there might be enough power in the first Thames crew to overturn Leander’s 2022 win, especially with Molesey in hot pursuit along the course. Elsewhere, University of London BC and Oxford University BC will likely be tussling for midfield supremacy with the Thames and Molesey second boats, but may be able to push off their competitors in this highly competitive category.
