With 20 entries, the U21 women’s eight looks to be one of, if not the most competitive, boat types at this year’s New South Wales State Championships. With 13 schoolgirl crews entered, they will be looking to test themselves against some of the university-age crews.
Sydney Rowing Club One
The first of two Sydney crews entered, with the line-up of Tompson, Taylor, Keniry, Naito, Yabsley, Yardley, Bennett, Wark, coxed by Parkes. Looks to be showing good form this season so far, winning Head of the Yarra in November over Mercantile. A question mark will be raised, however, after going down to Pymble at the Gold Cup. With Sydney Rowing Club’s dominance in recent years, they have set high standards, and much is expected of them in whatever boat they race, so we will be expecting to see great things from them on race day.
Geelong Grammar
With two crews entered, Geelong Grammar has a reputation to uphold. With three girls returning from their winning U19 girls eight from the Australian Rowing Championships last year, they will certainly be one of the stronger schoolgirl crews. They clearly have a system that works and will be sure to capitalise on that this year, hoping to repeat last year’s victory.
Pymble Ladies
Pymble Ladies have been showing good form this season and look to be New South Wales’s strongest schoolgirl crew. Just two weeks ago, they set a SIRC record in dead flat conditions, and doubled down last weekend by hanging with vastly more experienced club crews at the Riverview Gold Cup. While we often see a handful of school crews make the final of this event, Pymble will be at the forefront of all the club crews’ minds, given their imperious form.
Mercantile
Another crew making the trip from Victoria is Mercantile. Mercantile always have an impressive women’s sweep program, sending both a junior and senior women’s eights to Henley Royal Regatta last year in 2025 and producing multiple Australian Team athletes. They will be looking to prove that they can produce strong eights every year.
Freemantle Composite
It’s good to see a Western Australian crew making the journey to New South Wales to race alongside crews from Victoria and to challenge the locals for their title. This crew is likely something fairly similar to what we’ll see don the yellow and black of WA in the Interstate Youth Eight next month. With rowers from some of the top Western Australian rowing clubs, it will be good to see how they hold up against the competition. Expect this crew to be right at the pointy end of the race on Saturday afternoon.
UTS
UTS are another strong New South Wales club looking to keep the title local at this State Championships. This combination has been strengthened following their U21 crew’s elimination in the heats of the Riverview Gold Cup Regatta last weekend. They will be hoping some additional firepower will overturn that result this weekend and come away with a victory over the Sydney Rowing Club crew.
Prediction
This is going to be one of the tightest contests of the regatta. Even just making the final will be difficult for some. Sydney, Pymble, UTS, and WA are all right in the hunt for this title, as is Sydney University. For Pymble, this will be their fourth race of the day, and while I think they’ll have enough in the tank to knock out a club crew in a competitive heat, I don’t think they’ll be able to get up for the win. I’ll take Sydney for the win over Pymble and the Fremantle Composite but whichever way the results fall, this will be one of the races of the day come Saturday.
