The UK has a rich history in sculling, backed up by generations of elite performances and a supreme calibre of athlete, and it all starts here, with the juniors. The boys in this event are the next generation who will lead the way in sculling for years to come.
The Windsor Boys’ School Boat Club
The men that need no introduction, fresh from the limelight of a Henley Royal Regatta win, Ruben Taylor joins forces with compatriot Adam Elliott, a key member of the impressive ‘B’ crew. This is not Taylor’s first exhibition in the double this season; if we cast our minds back to the Junior Sculling Regatta, he won the Junior 18 double with an impressive margin of 20 seconds. Incidentally, the crew he bested for gold was the B crew from The Windsor Boys’ School Boat Club, which contained Elliott. I think it may be a fair statement to make that these two impressive junior athletes will be vying for the win in this event and will have a more than fair chance of doing so.
Hartpury University and College Boat Club
The silver medallists from last year are back, and they mean business. George Coates returns to the crew and brings with him a giant of the sport, Alex Repton, towering in at just over 6ft 7in at 18. Coates and Repton have proven themselves as a clean unit throughout the year, and made their most recent appearance as part of a valiant attempt for The Fawley Challenge Cup, where their campaign ended on the Friday. These boys will be hungry for more, and it is almost time to see if they can give the silver medal from last year a bit more of a golden glint.
Leander Club
A mixture of the first and second quads from the prestigious pink palace, off the back of a somewhat disappointing Henley Royal Regatta campaign, I have it on good authority that the fire within these boys has been well and truly stoked. With some very heavy hitters in this event, and the fact that Alfie Webb is one of the best upcoming J16S in the country, these boys will be coming out of the blocks swinging. Backed by one of the most renowned coaching teams in the world, these boys will be a sure contender for some metallic compensation for their efforts.
Hinksey Sculling School
Vedant Nirmal, one half of this double, comes straight from the crew that made it to the Sunday of its Fawley Challenge Cup campaign. Hinksey Sculling School has produced some of the most prominent junior scullers of recent times; names like Herbie Austin-Baker spring to mind. Apparently, they are starting to chain together some real momentum, having had two Henley Royal Regatta finals in the last three years. The prowess of these scullers cannot be underestimated, and I am sure that they will be a real contender in this event.
Predictions
It is a safe bet that the Windsor Boys’ School Boat Club will take gold, but I am confident that the field will be pretty tight. The fight for the minor medals will be tough, but when it comes down to it, I think the crew from Hartpury University and College Boat Club will take the silver medal, leaving the new blood from Leander Club to take bronze.
