The closing races of 2025 are well and truly behind us now, and crews have spent some serious time back at base putting in the winter miles. Three weeks out from the first race of the season, Dutch fans are getting excited as we move closer to the first flag drop. With a keener eye than most, the JRN team has put together our ones to watch, crews we expect to attract the most attention this season.
First Years
The First Years will once again start off in what looks to be a very tight race. So far, we’ve only seen them perform on the RP3; nevertheless, the margin of 0.39 seconds between Laga and Nereus was nail-biting. A betting man couldn’t safely choose either crew yet, so it will be an exciting first race in February as they head to Laga’s home water for the 5 km time trial, the Winter Wedstrijd.
Club
In a league of their own, the men from De Hoop are starting their fifth consecutive run at the The Thames Challenge Cup. Local-level competition is low, meaning they will be focused on racing Nereus and Aegir at a national level. Nevertheless, the Heineken International Regatta in March will offer them the chance to show their hand against Molesey and possibly the powerhouse that is Thames RC.
Sculling
This winter, the Dutch Rowing Federation has invited several promising rowers to participate in a series of trials in the single scull and on the ergo, competing alongside members of the national team. Among these promising athletes are members of TalentTeamNL as well as new names, all eager to secure a place on the national team with the upcoming World Rowing Championships and Olympic Games in mind.
Notable men who have been allowed to display their abilities include Amos Keijser and Stijn Wieling. Both rowers have previously been part of the Dutch team but quit rowing after failing to be selected for the Olympic Games.
Men’s Eights
People may be tired of hearing the name, but the ongoing development project emerging from Nereus appears to be reaching its peak. We saw a strong performance in the autumn, and with an even larger squad building on last year’s momentum, they will be a hard nut to break.
With some changes from the previous year, Laga still has an older crew, but one that is likely less drilled. Their most recent peak was in 2023, when their senior eight set a club record of 5:29. Nereus will likely be pushing that time this year in good conditions, so Laga will be doing all they can this winter to get ahead in preparation for The Temple Challenge Cup.
Always on the up, Aegir seems to be developing very strongly. While they did not visit Basel in 2025, their senior eight is now well established and experienced, and not a force to be underestimated, with a mix of new talent and seasoned rowers. With Jelle Bakker joining the crew this year, they are planning on competing in the Ladies’ Challenge Plate. It will be interesting to see whether they can make the necessary improvements after reaching Friday in the Temple last season.
Juniors
In the junior category, Cuup Kuilboer is the clear favourite for the national singles title. Cuup, two-time national champion and two-time finalist at the Junior World Championships, has the pedigree and experience to perform well again this year. His main competitors and potential teammates for the Junior Worlds are likely to be Martijn Aris from Willem 3 and Kristian Vreeken from Thames Rowing Club. Both of them have already posted good times on the erg this year and seem to be moving well in the boat.
