With the academic year winding down, students across the country are gearing up for two final battles: the fight for glory at BUCS Regatta and the desperate scramble to survive exam season. Needless to say, here at JRN, our priorities are firmly in order and I, for one, have my eyes (and oars) locked on the women’s intermediate eights as they go for gold this Sunday.
Sandwiched between championship athletes above them and eager novices snapping at their heels, the intermediate category epitomises the heart of student rowing. It’s a hotbed of ambition, grit, determination and maybe the occasional crab, that always delivers a great race out on the water. However, with no draw to go off yet, bear with me as I engage in a little guess-timation (a skill I’m also honing for exam season).
Oxford Brookes
As far as guesses go, I think Oxford Brookes are a pretty safe bet as ‘ones to watch’ in this category. After their utter domination last year, snapping up both first and second place, they’ll be coming back with a vengeance (and plenty of watts) to defend their title in 2025. With their three top crews placing fifth, 15th and 23rd at Women’s Eights Head of the River, the depth of Brookes’ programme speaks for itself. Expect them to come out swinging this weekend, with bigger (Henley Royal-sized) fish always in the back of their minds.
Edinburgh
Another strong and reliable contender in the intermediate category, the Edinburgh women are another big name to watch. They’ll be looking to improve on last year’s third-place finish, where they crossed the line seven seconds behind the winning Brookes crew. With another solid third-place showing at BUCS Head earlier this season and finishing nine seconds behind Brookes ‘C’ at WEHoRR, they’ve proven they can compete at the front. If they’re hoping to swap bronze for something shinier, though, I think they’ll need to find a little extra magic this weekend.
Bristol
Speaking of BUCS Head, it would be amiss not to discuss the champions of the day, Bristol. After only making the B final in BUCS regatta last year, 2025 seems to provide a golden opportunity for Bristol to stake their place in the A final, and maybe even the podium. WEHoRR seems to have proved a challenge for the Bristol ‘B’ crew, finishing 55 seconds adrift of Edinburgh in the end. However, as any rower knows, regattas are a different beast. And, according to my extensive research on their programme (Instagram stalking), it seems the women from Bristol have been enjoying the perks of the south – good weather, calm waters, and perfect conditions to hone the racecraft needed for a 2km sprint: practising both their own catches and catching other crews.
Newcastle
Newcastle’s intermediate squad is another bunch making noise this season. Their ‘B’ crew impressed at WEHoRR, splitting the difference between Brookes ‘C’ and Edinburgh ‘B’ on the timesheets. Like Bristol, narrowly missing the A final last year will no doubt have left them with some unfinished business and a little extra fire in the tank. And honestly, if I saw eight blue stars hurtling toward me at speed, I too would strongly consider cowering in fear.
Cambridge University
With their ‘B’ boat placing 16th overall at WEHoRR, Cambridge look like the best bet to challenge the Brookes dominance looming over us all as we march toward Henley season. A clean sweep at the Boat Race earlier this year only reinforced what we already knew: the Cambridge women aren’t just fast, they’re formidable. With proven racecraft, psychological grit, and a knack for delivering under pressure, they’re coming into BUCS looking seriously dangerous.
Durham
Another crew boasting strong performances at both WEHoRR and BUCS Head, Durham seem to have brought more than just a tan back from their Spanish training camp this winter. After finishing fifth at BUCS Regatta last year, they’ll be hungry to move up, and based on early-season form, they’ve got every reason to believe they can.
Predictions
With no crew lists yet published, I’ve stuck mainly to the deeper university programmes that have consistently performed at the intermediate level throughout the year. But let’s not forget, BUCS Regatta is prime territory for underdog chaos, and someone is always bound to make a splash (though hopefully not literally) on race day.
That said, it’s hard to look past Oxford Brookes for the win, and possibly a repeat of their stunning 1-2 from last year. If anyone’s going to spoil the party, my money’s on Cambridge to secure a podium finish. Beyond that, I expect Edinburgh and Newcastle to be firmly in the running, with Bristol and Durham lurking as dark horses for a spot in the A final.
Whatever the final outcome, one thing’s for sure: it’s going to be an exciting, brutal, beautiful mess for all athletes involved, and the perfect study break entertainment for yours truly!
