Spring has well and truly sprung, and change is in the air. The temperatures are rising, and we are expecting another fabulous weekend of rowing as Europe’s biggest student regatta expands to four days for the first time. Despite all this change, some things remain the same, and many of the nation’s fastest young rowers will be lining up in the blue riband championship eights events on the first Saturday in May.
Oxford Brookes University
The biggest name in British university rowing has been under the spotlight recently as a transition period has begun in Wallingford. Despite this, Oxford Brookes University remained the preeminent power at their only race of the spring, placing two boats in the top five at the Head of the River, with their designated ‘student’ crew placing 13th to finish third in the Bernard Churcher trophy, behind a Goldie crew who are not expected to line up in this event.
If past years are anything to go by, there will be two burgundy crews in this event, drawing from the top three or four crews from the Head season. With the power and prestige among the squad list, there is little doubt in their mind that they will be claiming their 12th successive gold medal in this event on Saturday afternoon. The second eight are expecting a medal of another colour, with two silvers and two bronzes in the four years since the pandemic.
Durham University
Best of the rest last year, the top Durham University crews have a strong pattern of performing well at BUCS events. Winning a gold and a bronze last year across the head and the regatta, they have already completed the first leg of that duo for 2025.
Outside of BUCS events, they have continued to succeed, with their top eight racing on Friday in The Temple Challenge Cup at last year’s Henley Royal Regatta. However, they once again struggled on the Tideway at the head of the river, placing 19th, behind their regular rivals.
Back in sprint racing, Will Fletcher knows how to succeed at Nottingham and will have all eyes on repeating their medal success from last year. With a strong, deep squad following a proactive recruitment policy, there may be palatinate on the medal pontoon this weekend.
University of London
With the largest student population in the sport, the University of London provides another purple challenge to Brookes’ hegemony. Winners of the silver medal in 2023, this year’s group seems strong enough to challenge this season. Finishing 11th on their home water at the Head of the River Race in March, they hope to carry this speed into May. With 17 different member institutions, the Chiswick-based club will expect to catapult itself towards the front of the field for the coming regatta season. They prioritised the four down the stretch in 2024, but a strong showing here may lead the federal university to a season chasing speed in the eight.
University of Edinburgh
The only championship entry from north of the border, the University of Edinburgh has transformed over the summer as they have shrunk their squad to focus on quality within their group. At BUCS Head, this was clear in the improvement in the second eight, but the flagship crew really showed the benefit at the Head of the River as they finished 15th, the fourth-fastest university crew and the inaugural winners of the Scott Skirving Trophy for Temple-eligible crews from outside the Thames Valley. Now transitioning to shorter distances, the baby blue army may be hampered by the earlier exam period north of the border, but theywill want to overcome their duck, having never won a medal in this event. They may view this year as their best chance to do so.
Newcastle University
It hasn’t been an easy few years to be a fan of the blue star, as the once dominant Newcastle University programme has seemingly fallen behind its rivals in recent seasons. Last year, this was clear as sixth at BUCS Regatta became a Wednesday exit at Henley Royal Regatta – with only one men’s boat qualifying for the event. This year, they will not be satisfied with a silver at BUCS Head and 16th at the Head of the River, as the most recent non-Brookes winners of this event will be seeking their first medal since 2021. Ultimately, Angelo Savarino and the squad will have left no stone unturned in the search for speed in this crew, and they should be in the fight on Saturday.
University of Bristol
No longer easily described as the new kid on the championship block, the University of Bristol are now well established in the top fleet of British university rowing. Racing as a championship boat at BUCS Head this year for the first time in their modern incarnation, they finished fourth overall, just behind the northern ‘high performance academies’, before travelling south for the Head of the River, finishing 25th. These results, once deemed phenomenal, are now rather ordinary for the men in red and black, which is a testament to the club’s elevation over the last half-decade, while also meaning that if all goes well this weekend, they could upset the apple cart.
Imperial College London
When, just 25 years ago, the Imperial College London alumni eights claimed the overall headship in three successive years, the recent black, blue and silver form is somewhat underwhelming. The leadership of Australian Olympian Peter Hardcastle has strengthened and stabilised the club, but they still seem far from challenging the major powers in the sport. This year, they finished fifth overall at BUCS Head and improved to 23rd at the Head of the River Race, promising a similar result to last year as they travel north to BUCS Head. However, they will want to turn this around. Last year, they finished fourth in their repechage, well behind the cutoff for an A-final, but a decisive turn of form this year may see them return to the fastest university race in Europe after a year away.
Predictions
When writing this prediction last year, I invoked death and taxes with their certainty. With the much-discussed challenges at Oxford Brookes this year, it may not be quite as impenetrable, but it would still be remarkably foolish to bet on anyone but the dominant powerhouse to take gold. Behind them, I might be tempted to pick two non-Brookes boats to fill out the podium, with the University of London and Durham University taking my eye.
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