The RNSW Small Boats Regatta is a key selection regatta for the NSW interstate Youth Eight. A top placement in the U21 pair will send these athletes through to the seat race for a place in the Youth Eight, and as such, one can expect this to be one of the most fiercely contested events this weekend. With 16 entries from various clubs and one school, it will be one of the most exciting events this weekend.
Sydney Rowing Club
Sydney Rowing Club (SRC) has entered six pairs into this event, showcasing their squad depth and strength. The top pair from the Sydney line-up would appear to be the lethal combination of Matias and Tomas Moloney. The two brothers rowed together in the gold medal-winning coxed four at the 2024 U19 World Rowing Championships, and in the coxless four that came fifth in 2025. The international strength and experience of this pair will place them in good standing against the rest of the field and the competition from within SRC.
Sydney University Boat Club
Sydney University Boat Club has also sent a strong array of pairs to demonstrate its squad depth. Notable among their entries is the pair made up of Samuel Basha and Finlay Mitchell. These athletes rowed together at St Joseph’s College, winning the AAGPS Head of the River Race in 2024. Basha was also a member of the world champion U19 coxed four in 2024, leaving this crew with no shortage of individual talent to challenge SRC’s strong showing.
UTS Haberfield Rowing Club
UTS Haberfield Rowing Club has entered three strong pairs. Two of these pairs are made up of recent St Ignatius College graduates from the dominant Riverview eight that won the Schoolboy eight at the 2025 Australian Rowing Championships. After an incredibly successful domestic season, this eight went on to compete at Henley Royal Regatta, providing these athletes with valuable overseas racing experience. The UTS pairs should be competitive with SRC and Sydney University, though I think it is unlikely we will see them on the podium.
Mercantile Rowing Club
Mercantile Rowing Club has come up from Melbourne for the Small Boats Regatta. While their athletes will therefore have less at stake, in not racing for the interstate eight, they will certainly want to make a solid appearance against their competition from NSW. The top pair from Mercantile, Harry Pollock and Joe Collingwood, recently took the win in the U21 pair at the Rowing Ballarat Regatta. Though they put on a strong performance, it seems unlikely they will keep up with their high-quality out-of-state competition this weekend.
Prediction
Overall, the most likely outcome is that Sydney Rowing Club’s Matias and Tomas Moloney will take the win. The top Sydney University pair might come in behind them for the silver medal, but will be challenged by the rest of the SRC pairs, as well as entries from UTS and Mercantile. In such a competitive field, the exact order is impossible to determine, which certainly makes this event a race to watch on Saturday.
