Cover image: AllMarkOne
Once again, BUCS Head returns to the north and to the infamous River Tyne, which this weekend will host universities competing for BUCS points and the Victor Ludorum trophy. Those who have raced on the just under 5k stretch of the Tyne will know that there is more than meets the eye. With a combination of hidden mud banks and the tidal flow, steering is the most important factor on this river. In the Open Intermediate Quads, we have a stacked field of entrants with a wide selection of crews from some of the top university programs in the country. With this in mind, this event looks set to be one to watch for the weekend and should provide us with some intense and fierce racing.
Reading University Boat Club
It is impossible to talk about a high-level sculling program and not mention Reading University Boat Club. Since switching to pure sculling in 2015, RUBC have dominated the student sculling scene, sending many of those athletes off to represent GB at U23 and Senior level. Last year, the clams came away from BUCS Head with nine medals, three of which were in this event, where they secured the three podium positions. Later at BUCS Regatta, they won the Men’s Victor Ludorum Trophy and again placed first and third in the Intermediate Quads. This year, they have started off strongly again, with very impressive results at November’s Four’s Head and at GB Trials to cap it off. I see Reading dominating this event as they have done previously. The only crews I see coming close to them could either be Nottingham or Birmingham University, but even if they do, Reading should have no difficulty securing the top step of the podium.
Nottingham University Boat Club
In this event at last year’s BUCS Head, Nottingham University Boat Club finished a respectable fifth and seventh, which they then built upon through the rest of the season, with similarly strong results at BUCS Regatta. This year, Nottingham have hit the ground running, with good results at events such as GB U23 Trials, where Joe Palmer, Ned Floyd and Sam Furley all performed well in their events. At the Four’s Head, their Senior Academic Quad placed seventh in a competitive field. I see Nottingham as a club that is building momentum year after year, their results have been improving for some time now, and I feel that with the calibre of athletes they have at their disposal could make them a force to be reckoned with come regatta season. I predict that this weekend they will struggle to overturn RUBC; however, I would expect them to be the best of the rest and clinch a top-five finish.
Loughborough University Boat Club
Loughborough University Boat Club have four crews entered into this event and will be looking to improve on some solid performances from last year’s Head. Their two quads finished sixth and 13th at the Four’s Head, and will be hoping to build from those results and make a significant impact on the standings. Loughborough are looking to really break into the high-level university sculling scene. Last year, their women’s crew qualified for Henley Women’s Regatta, showing the continual development they are having.
Durham University Boat Club
Looking to dominate on home waters, Durham University Boat Club are without a doubt one of the contenders for the overall Victor Ludorum Trophy. They came away with the Open Trophy last year and will be wanting to claim both titles this time round. They have just the one quad in this event, which includes Zachary Shaw, who finished respectably at the November Trials last year. I could see Durham being up there with the likes of the previously mentioned Nottingham; however, with their primary focus being sweep, I feel that they’ll struggle to be real contenders against the pure scullers such as Reading.
Prediction
I see Reading dominating this event as they usually do; their continued dominance in student sculling is highly impressive and should be commended. I predict they will easily claim the top three positions, perhaps by some margin. Following closely behind, I predict it to be between Nottingham and Durham, with Loughborough rounding out the top few spots. As we have seen time and time again, though, anything can happen at BUCS Head, a race where steering is just as important as raw power.
