Capping off the men’s racing at the 2025 Western Australian State Championships will be the open men’s coxed eight. This race promises to bring some fast-paced competition to Champion Lakes. With a mix of talented development athletes, Australian Representatives, and strong club athletes throughout the boats, these eights are sure to put on a show for everyone watching from the bank.
Fremantle Rowing Club
Throughout the Western Australia Pennant Regatta series, Fremantle Rowing Club has dominated the top of the standings. They won all three A-grade men’s eight races that ran this year. Coxswain Ranger, who represented Western Australia at the U22 Oceania Teams Regatta in July, is joined by Vincent, Wayne, Payne, Bredell, Holding, Davis, Davis, and Casey. This crew is unchanged from the undefeated Pennant series crew and will be strong contenders for the title this year.
Swan River Rowing Club
Based in the south of Perth, Swan River Rowing Club has entered two eights in this year’s regatta. The crew in lane four of Orton, Morris-Luck, Marketos, Marsh, Davies, McNamara, Boere, Ward, and coxswain Scott have come in second to Fremantle at all the Pennant Regattas this season by between one and two lengths. A modified crew beat Fremantle in June’s annual 16-kilometre Perth to Fremantle Head Race. I expect this crew to challenge Fremantle early to overturn the results from the Pennant Regattas and take the State Championship.
University of Western Australia Boat Club (UWABC)
The UWABC boat in lane three has also been a contender in the Pennant series, finishing a comfortable third in two of the three Pennant Regattas. With Western Australia Oceana Regatta Representative McCallum in stroke, the crew of Street, Hamilton, Cliff, Den Ouden, Wood, Minchin, Clayton, and coxed by Kerr will be pushing for a podium position.
West Australian Rowing Club (WARC)
Having raced together only once thus far this year, the WARC crew will be a dark horse challenging for the title on Sunday, with Former Australian Representative Jack Cleary in six seat. Joined by Bouwhuis, Chadinha, Hoy, Clode, Flecker, Hantke, Brown, and Cox Warner, this crew should not be counted out of contention due to the massive experience in the boat.
Prediction
The dominance of the Fremantle Rowing Club crew in the 2000m racing this year is hard to ignore when calling this race. I expect they will push out to a length lead by the 1000m mark and hold onto it through the finish, with Swan River pushing into second and UWABC holding off a fast-finishing WARC for third.
