If you, by chance, wanted to try rowing, and not just rowing on a river, but real racing, then you might feel inclined to gather three of your friends and race the open women’s coxless four at the Queensland State Championships. However, if this were your first race, it would be a cruel way to start your rowing career, not only because fours are tricky boats to row and Wyaralong’s course can be treacherous most afternoons, but this race would be challenging because of the skill level of your competitors. In the mix of the two crews in this race are a variety of state and national representatives who would surely show no mercy to a novice crew.
University of Queensland Boat Club
The University of Queensland crew was noticeably absent from the main lead-up regatta, the 2025 Queensland Grade Championships, but for good reason – they had split into singles to race at the #3 High Performance Trial, in the hopes of being selected to represent Queensland again later in the season. This boat is filled with competent sweep rowers, three of whom represented Queensland at last year’s nationals, with Scarlett Woodbury and Gabrielle Ryan placing second in the Interstate women’s youth eight, and Tylah Hutton also representing in the Interstate women’s eight. Tylah also has international racing experience, taking home the win in the 2024 U21 Trans Tasman Regattas in both the women’s coxless four and women’s eight.
This crew also has a medal-laden school rowing career in their near past: Ella Welsh placed first in the schoolgirl single in 2025, and second in the schoolgirl first eight three years in a row, breaking the Brisbane Schoolgirls Rowing Association record for the Year 11 2000m erg in the process. (When you regard her rowing resume, it’s easy to see how Welsh was picked for a sports scholarship by the University of Texas, where she currently studies). Just staying ahead of her during their school years was Gabrielle Ryan, who placed first in the first eight for three consecutive years and helped break the BSRA record for the 5 x 500m relay. Wisely enough, they didn’t just stick to school rowing, with all four members racing – and placing – at nationals. With their considerable experience on the boat, the University of Queensland crew should be moving pretty fast on the water this weekend.
Toowong Rowing Club
As far as tough crews go, Toowong has put forward a fine example. This close-knit team has plenty of experience racing together; Gabrielle Geldard, Jemima Powell, and Nancy Duncan-Banks won the women’s Group 2 quad scull by over six seconds in the lead-up regatta. But they have more experience than just club regattas, as Geldard and Powell also travelled to England to race the aspirational double at Henley Royal Women’s Regatta in 2024. In 2025, Elly Ready and Nancy were selected and travelled to Germany to compete in the women’s four at the World University Games, where they placed seventh. This, coupled with their previous success, is likely why they were both given Half Blue Awards by the University of Queensland to recognise their sporting achievements.
As demonstrated last season, this crew is also not shy of state selection, with Elly and Nancy racing the Interstate women’s eight at the 2025 Australian Rowing Championships, Jemima coming fourth in the Interstate lightweight women’s quad scull at the same regatta, and Gabrielle placing third in the Interstate women’s youth eight in 2023. Their coaches are also not shy of the limelight. Both Simon Daly and Hamish Cooney are Rowing Queensland’s staff, the latter having coached the U22 Men’s Oceania Teams Championships to compete in Adelaide in 2025. Alex Field, the freshly selected coach for the Interstate lightweight women’s quad scull, has experience taking athletes to the international stage, having coached boats to both the World University and World Rowing Championships, and will no doubt bring his skillset to this crew. Considering the immense expertise – both in and outside the boat – and their history together, the Toowong crew will be ones to watch.
Prediction
Despite not being the most popular event, the open women’s coxless four will definitely offer some fierce competition as the University of Queensland and Toowong Rowing Club battle for the title. Considering our star-studded cast, the race should be pretty quick, with both crews fighting up until the end.
However, I predict that the additional international racing experience in the Toowong boat will give them the edge over the University of Queensland crew, as they bring the race home with a length or more lead over the finish line, leaving any hypothetical novice crews in their wake.
