Racing moves north this weekend as crews take to the River Tyne for BUCS Head, bringing a different challenge from the more familiar Tideway and championship regatta courses. The 5km course often presents unpredictable conditions and an unforgiving stream, placing a premium on good §steering, rhythm, and the ability to adapt across a long head race, making it a venue that tends to reward well drilled crews over raw power alone. Excitingly, we see a new addition to the event schedule of the Open Championship Pairs. This new event offers a rare opportunity at university level for athletes to test themselves in one of rowing’s most unforgiving boat classes. With many student programmes increasingly using small boats as a pathway to develop technical cohesion and depth, the event has attracted entries that blend established championship performers with combinations looking to translate trial speed into race results.
Durham University BC
Long-standing titans of the northern circuit, Durham University brings a formidable fleet to the start line, looking to set the definitive standard in this new category.
The ‘A’ crew are the pairing of Marius Bjørn-Hansen Ahlsand and William Morgan-Jones, a new match but two very experienced athletes on the rowing scene. Fresh from the University of Washington, Bjørn-Hansen Ahlsand is the latest talent added to the pedigree of the Durham squad. He has represented the Huskies in both their 1V and 2V over the years, and was part of the renowned 2024 crew that won both the Pac-12 and IRA National Championships, before giving Oxford Brookes University BC a run for their money down the Henley Royal Regatta course in the final of the Grand Challenge Cup, before disaster. Additionally, he has represented Norway at the U23 World Rowing Championships in 2024, finishing eighth overall in the coxless four. Morgan-Jones is also one of the most respected athletes at Durham. With similar international racing experience to his partner, he has represented GB at U23 World’s too, finishing fourth by the slimmest margins in the coxless four in 2025. He has also been an integral part of the Durham squad, helping the 1V to multiple wins and medals over the last couple of years. Both of these individuals have a wealth of experience in small boats, and there is no doubt, this pair is stacked with technique and raw power.
As always, the depth of pedigree Durham has to choose from is large and can be seen through these other entries. The ‘B’, ‘C’ and ‘G’ crews all feature athletes from the Durham 1V so far this season. The ‘B’ duo of Apps/Wildridge is quietly stacked, with first-year Apps arriving off the back of a successful season in Leander’s 2V where he placed tenth at Head of the River and just missed out on the Thames Challenge Cup final at Henley Royal Regatta 2025. Dropping an athlete with that sort of background into a student boat, then pairing him with an already-established 1V figure in Wildridge, gives this entry the sort of ‘bite’ that would not look out of place on the podium. The ‘G’ crew of fellow first-year Buckingham and Coulter, fastest U21 and second fastest U23 pair at November 2025 GBRT Trials, are two of the younger names in the Durham squad but are a combination that has already proven themselves at junior international level after successful campaigns through GB v France fixtures at J16, double gold at Munich and wins at Coupe de la Jeunesse. It will be interesting to see how these two scale up against older athletes from their own or rival programmes, but there is no doubt there is some serious power in that boat. Alongside them, this ‘C’ pairing of Iles and Morris are the final two athletes core to the top palatine boats. Although not the loudest combination on the start list, these two have some seriously impressive strength, including both athletes having sub-6:10 2k ergo scores. This is a pair built less on a glittery rowing resume, and more on raw power, speed and reliability. They are the type of crew you would happily send down a long head course like BUCS knowing you can count on them maximising the opportunity to prove themselves against some of their teammates and other formidable crews, and will squeeze every metre out of the conditions.
Newcastle University BC
This duo of Edward Ridley and Gwilym Johnson from Newcastle University are no stranger to rowing together in the pair, having consistently been partners at various races and trials over the last couple years. Last season, they put on strong performances at GBRT Trials, finishing as the 8th and 6th full U23 crew in November 2024 and February 2025, while also just missing out on a podium finish in the Championship category at BUCS Regatta 2025. In the bigger boats, 2025 was a successful year for the Blue Star, including a semi-final finish at Henley Royal Regatta in the Prince Albert Challenge Cup and selection for Edward Ridley for GB at the FISU World University Championships. This year, this powerhouse pairing has already been hard to miss, achieving second place overall and fastest U23 crew at GBRT November Trials 2025. As they are on homewaters, most crews will struggle to match such a strong set of results already and the depth of experience they have together, plus a crew 2k ergo average of 6:07 is extremely impressive and only exemplifies the power these two have.
Imperial College BC
Arguably one of the more quietly credentialled combinations in the field. Henry Barham and Kit Gordon-Brown bring a level of shared speed that makes them an intriguing entry from Imperial College BC. The pair raced together at GB Rowing Team U23 and Senior Trials in November, producing 2km ergo personal bests for a combined average of 6:11 before reinforcing that form with eighth overall and third full U23 pair in the 5km water trial. Those results stack up strongly against much of this field. Both of these athletes have been fixtures in Imperial College’s top crews in recent seasons, reflecting a programme that consistently turns out technically assured, well-drilled racing units, even if the club cannot quite make the podium among an extremely competitive student field. If these two can translate their trial form onto the Tyne, this is a pair with the cohesion and conditioning to feature prominently.
Prediction
For first place, this is going to be another Northern tussle between Blue Star of Newcastle University and the Palatinates of Durham University. The Bjørn-Hansen Ahlsand/Morgan-Jones and Ridley/Johnson pairings will be the main two crews to watch. Based on crew experience and results together already, favour swings towards Ridley/Johnson after their strong performances this year already. However, the starting order may not work in their favour, going off fifth in the category. The Bjørn-Hansen Ahlsand/Morgan-Jones duo from Durham are starting second, potentially offering clearer waters and less wash. Despite being a newer pair, if luck falls their way and they are able to find their rhythm, these two might be a concern for Blue Star to get the gold.
In terms of how the bronze medal will fall, this could be a complete toss-up. Durham has multiple additional pairings beyond its ‘A’ crew from its 1V, so with the Tyne being familiar waters for them, one of these other pairs could easily take the remaining podium spot. However, this crew of Barham and Gordon-Brown from Imperial College should not be ignored, putting down solid performances over recent years and having a good amount of small-boat experience together.
