The Women’s Championship Coxless Fours is an event that often attracts huge talent from around the Universities of the UK, and this year is no different. With last year’s winners, Oxford Brookes, distinctly lacking from the field, it’s suddenly wide open for the playing for the eleven total entries.
Cambridge University Boat Club
Recently victorious once again over their dark blue counterparts, Cambridge University Boat Club will be looking to continue their mighty reign with success at BUCS Regatta. With 100% substitutions permitted, it’s difficult to say who this lineup may contain, but there’s certainly scope for their Blue Boat athletes to end up racing here. After placing second in the B-final last year behind Brookes ‘B’, I’d be pleased to see the light blues shoot their shot for the A-final and look to challenge the likes of UL and Durham, given their success already this season.
Durham University Boat Club
Durham University Boat Club are no stranger to success in the coxless four, having placed fifth in this same event in 2024, and then going on to win the Cathy Cruickshank Trophy for Aspirational Academic Coxless Fours at Henley Women’s Regatta. With two entries into this category, these appear to be coxless fours made up of athletes from their first and second eights, respectively. With Durham ‘A’ entered under Zoe McCutcheon‘s name, it’s exciting to see the USC graduate, who also placed 29th at November Trials, leading the charge and bringing some of her invaluable US College rowing experience to the Palatinate crew.
Edinburgh University Boat Club
After placing fourth in the B-final in this event last year, it’s safe to say that Edinburgh University Boat Club will be looking to improve this time around. The crew making the long journey down to Nottingham this weekend includes Katie Robertson, whose rise to success over the past 12 months has been nothing short of impressive. After taking home gold in the Beginner Singles at BUCS Regatta 2024 and winning the Frank V Harry Cup for Development Coxed Fours at Henley Women’s Regatta, we now see her take on the challenge of the Championship events. Edinburgh have a long history of developing beginner rowers, and it’s really exciting to see one of their homegrown athletes racing in the highest calibre of BUCS events. With success at BUCS Head and Women’s Head of the River Race, including placing 14th overall, it’s safe to say that EUBC’s Women are already having a stellar season, and I’m sure that this will continue at BUCS Regatta this weekend.
Imperial College Boat Club
With a fourth place finish last year, and fifth place in the same event at BUCS Head, Imperial College Boat Club have been so close yet so far from the medals more than once in recent times. Fresh off the back of a Cerlac training camp, this crew will be looking to turn their medal-less streak around – including Laura Ellington who has previously seen success in the four and the pair among other boats at BUCS Regatta. Imperial may not have been punching with the bigger names for medals in the last couple of years, but there’s no reason that this can’t be turned around in Nottingham this weekend, especially with the lack of Brookes crews.
University of London Boat Club
The University of London Boat Club picked up a silver medal in this event last year, less than six seconds behind Brookes. Jessie Martin is the only returning member of that crew, now joined by Saskia Delray and Irish Olympians, Aoife Casey and Emily Hegarty. The depth of the UL program is really on show here, with a second entry made up of the likes of Daisy Faithfull and Efa Wilson, both of whom have had success at various GB trials recently, so this could certainly be the year when more than one podium spot goes to the purple palace.
Newcastle University Boat Club
Despite limited information on crew members, I wouldn’t be at all surprised if this is the same Blue Star outfit that has seen success at BUCS Head and Rutherford Head already this season. Having placed sixth in this event last year, bringing up the rear of the A-final, I imagine that Newcastle University Boat Club will be looking ot climb the ranks and show what they can achieve on a multilane 2k course as well as on their home stretch of the Tyne.
Predictions
I’d be very surprised not to see at least one University of London Boat Club crew on the podium for the Women’s Championship Coxless Fours this weekend, and I imagine that Durham University Boat Club will be their biggest challenge to overhaul. That said, depending on who materialises from Cambridge University Boat Club this weekend, there certainly could be a close-fought race for the medals.
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