Once again, the head racing season has flown by, and now regatta season is upon us. Clubs have had eight weeks since the Women’s Eights Head of the River Race to refocus their training towards the shorter, faster demands of summer racing. BUCS marks the first major regatta of the year, and the Championship Women’s Eights category promises to showcase some of the biggest names in university rowing. Many crews feature ex-junior and U23 international athletes doing all it takes to take their crew to the top of the podium.
In 2025, the BUCS Regatta will be held over four days, meaning that some of these athletes will have already raced on Friday and Saturday before the eights line up on Sunday. Where narrow margins are concerned, it will be a toss-up between the benefit of experience on the course and the risk of fatigue, as clubs prioritise individual events or target the all-important Victor Ludorum points.
Sunday morning will see all crews participate in a 1500-metre time trial. The fastest crews will book a direct ticket to the A-final, while others will have to take on the repechage to keep their hopes of a medal alive.
Oxford Brookes University BC
Requiring little to no introduction, Oxford Brookes are the reigning champions of this category, and have been for the past four years. Last year’s final saw Brookes claim victory by over six seconds, setting the tone from the opening strokes with a pace no one could keep up with. The remainder of their season was equally dominant, with triumphs in both the aspirational academic and championship eights at Henley Women’s Regatta and a third title in The Island Challenge Cup at Henley Royal Regatta.
Looking to this season, at the Women’s Head of the River Race, Oxford Brookes’ top two crews placed fifth and 15th overall. With this event exclusive to students, this crew will likely be an amalgamation of the two, putting them in a strong position to chase a fifth consecutive title.
Newcastle University BC
After finishing fifth in this category last year, Newcastle built speed and momentum from regatta to regatta, peaking at precisely the right time to reach the final of The Island Challenge Cup at Henley Royal Regatta — beating many top university crews along their campaign.
Seven of the eight rowers return this season, strengthened by the addition of U19 World Rowing Championship silver medallist Megan Johnston and seasoned cox Elin Thomas, further boosting a crew already packed with experience and racing finesse. Newcastle’s first eight have delivered consistently strong performances this season, winning BUCS Head by 5.7 seconds and placing 12th overall at Women’s Head of the River Race, ranking as the third-fastest university crew. Having made history last year, Newcastle will hope to make this season another one to remember, starting with their bid to bring home a medal in the women’s championship eights for the first time since 2021.
University of London BC
The University of London finished third last year after winning a silver medal the year before. Determined to climb back up the rankings, they put in a formidable performance at the Women’s Head of the River Race, becoming only one of two university crews to place within the top ten. UL have a strong track record in side-by-side racing. Last June, they reached the semifinal of the aspirational academic eights at Henley Women’s Regatta, narrowly losing to eventual victors Oxford Brookes. In July, they made it to the Saturday of The Island Challenge Cup at Henley Royal Regatta, where a thrilling race saw UL and Newcastle fight tooth and nail for a coveted spot in the final. Newcastle edged ahead in the closing strokes, ultimately claiming a half-length lead.
Following the recent success of Daisy Faithfull and Jessie Martin at the GB Final Trials, where they placed ninth overall and were the fastest crew containing an U23 athlete, UL will be looking to carry forward this momentum into Sunday and secure a place on the podium.
Durham University BC
Considered one of the top university programmes in the country, Durham University are regulars on the podium at BUCS Regatta, and in 2023 won both the women’s and overall Victor Ludorum. Last year, Durham finished second in this category, defeating bronze medallists UL by a convincing margin of almost three seconds. Having won silver at BUCS Head and finishing 18th overall at the Women’s Head of the River Race, Durham have shown some glimpses of their speed this season, but have yet to replicate last year’s results. At Henley Royal Regatta in 2024, Durham reached the semifinal of The Island Challenge Cup for the second consecutive year, highlighting their consistent ability to compete with the best universities in the world.
With stroke seat Zoe McCutcheon, a former University of Southern California athlete, recently finishing eighth overall at the GB Final Trials alongside Newcastle’s U23 world champion, Holly Youd, Durham are well-positioned to build on this momentum. McCutcheon’s success and experience, combined with fellow triallists Izzie Kennedy and Daisy Jackson, will provide a boost as the crew looks to do one better this year and challenge for the top spot.
Edinburgh University BC
Renowned for the depth of their squad, Edinburgh managed to qualify three eights for The Island Challenge Cup at Henley Royal Regatta in 2024. In recent years, their first eight has thrived during head racing season but struggled to find the speed to challenge at the top as regatta season heats up. 2019 marked the last time Edinburgh found themselves with medals around their necks in this category. Over the past two years, Edinburgh have reached the A-final but finished in sixth position, a few lengths off the podium.
This season, however, Edinburgh have proved they can compete with the likes of Brookes, Newcastle, and Durham. At BUCS Head, they secured bronze in the championship eights, and at the Women’s Head of the River Race, they raced well to place 14th overall, ranking as the fourth-fastest university-eligible crew. The task at hand now is to convert that stamina into raw speed and find a punchy rhythm their opposition can’t contend with, as they look to start their regatta season on a high.
Cambridge University BC
Still riding the high of a light blue clean sweep at The Boat Races, the Cambridge women continue their trend of expanding their racing horizons with Championship entries at BUCS Regatta, complementing the usual armada of ‘dev squad’ crews testing their mettle ahead of the following year’s cycle.
It’s unclear exactly how many of the winning Blues have continued with the squad after The Boat Race, though even a crew reduced in force could pose a serious threat to the incumbents. Claiming the University Pennant the Women’s Head of the River Race, and finishing third overall, Paddy Ryan’s crew has demonstrated unshakable prowess on two occasions over an the Championships Course, and given a Blue Boat-Blondie hybrid took Cambridge deeper into Henley Royal Regatta than ever before in 2024, the light blue palace appear to be refining their regatta craft too.
Prediction
It’s safe to say that in British university rowing, Oxford Brookes winning is hardly a surprise anymore – it has become the status quo. For this reason, they are almost undoubtedly the top contender for the gold medal. However, I believe the margin between first and second will be much less substantial than in years past. The top challengers to dethrone Brookes appear to be Cambridge, Newcastle and the University of London, with the former perhaps the favourite given their result at the Women’s Head of the River Race. This weekend’s racing, over 1.5 and two kilometres, could result in minuscule margins between winning a medal and going home empty-handed. With BUCS Regatta marking the first two-kilometre racing of the season, the speeds of Durham and Edinburgh could very well cause an upset, making the silver and bronze medals very much up for grabs. The sixth spot in the A-final will be all to play for between names like Nottingham, Imperial and any other clubs trying to challenge for the title.
- Oxford Brookes University BC
- Newcastle University BC
- Cambridge Universiety BC
- University of London BC
- Durham University BC
- Edinburgh University BC
