Following the lightning show put on for us at SIRC, all eyes are turning to Lake Wendouree for the 2026 Victorian State Championships. As the countdown ticks closer towards the 2026 Australian Rowing Championships, Victorians are facing their final racing opportunity, and the men’s open pair is set to be a tight competition.
Results are always exciting to predict when interstate athletes come to Victoria to explore Ballarat’s Olympic racing venue. The Queenslanders and New South Wales residents within a number of these crews certainly bring an element of the unknown to a relatively small Victorian field this year, meaning we’re having to look a little further north than normal to make our call.
Melbourne University Boat Club and University of Queensland Boat Club (1)
The combination of Foley and Forbes is more than an excellent alliteration; this pair brings tough experience to the start line. Following a clean, golden sweep of the open men’s four and open men’s eight at the 2026 Queensland State Rowing Championships, Forbes is looking to add some Victorian medals to his collection. Foley’s international experience, with a fifth-place finish in the U23 men’s four, completes this competitive duo. After a bronze in the U23 men’s pair at the 2026 NSW State Championships, they’re ready to bring home the open gold.
Melbourne University Boat Club and UTS
Not to be doubted in the interstate line-up, Wilson and Hooper will be looking to retain their 3.4-second lead from the NSW State Championships over their MUBC/UQBC competitors. Taking home their U23 men’s pair silver medal last week should fill them with confidence moving into racing, but their international experience doubles it. They were competitors in the U23 men’s four at the 2025 World Rowing Championships, so both athletes are sure to be tough to beat off the start line.
Mercantile Rowing Club
One of the strongest pairs of the three racing from Mercantile, Mackintosh and Fielding, are surely ready to defend their home soil. A tough race in the men’s elite pair at the 2026 NSW State Championships shouldn’t dampen their spirits, as their performance in home territory has been strong throughout the season. As one of the home-grown combinations this weekend, their exposure to elite racing can only be of benefit as they line up at a start line they’re all too familiar with.
Melbourne University Boat Club and University of Queensland Boat Club (2)
Stevens and Idle combine in another strong pair for the state championships. No stranger to intense racing is athlete Idle, one of the Australian athletes who raced in the U19 men’s eight in the 2022 World Rowing Championships. Fresh off a bronze medal in the U21 men’s pair at the 2026 NSW State Championships is Stevens, who’ll be ready to compete against his MUBC clubmates fiercely.
Predictions:
Though we may not be exposed to lightning striking again in the sky, the men’s open pair is sure to provide some lightning-fast times this weekend. The tough competition is relatively hard to call, but I predict we’ll see the MUBC/UTS combination of Wilson and Hooper at the top of the podium this year.
Second place will be exceptionally close behind them, with the MUBC/UQBC pair of Foley and Forbes creating some extra weight in the form of a silver medal for Forbes to carry home. I think bronze will be a tough fight to the finish, but we’ll ultimately see the Mercantile crew of Mackintosh and Fielding take the final podium spot.
