It is testament to how far Henley Royal Regatta has pushed the envelope regarding rowing coverage that the drone, which felt like a very new and exciting feature just a decade ago, is now a staple part of so much televised rowing.
The operation to bring the Regatta to a wider and more internationally diverse audience began in 2015 with the inaugural broadcast (a commentary project in which yours truly was privileged to play – and continue to play – a role). Given we missed a year due to COVID-19, 2025 will be both the ten-year anniversary of the first broadcast and the tenth occasion it has been streamed for free on YouTube. Under the leadership and guidance of the Stewards and Sunset & Vine – who have been the broadcast partner since inception – the Regatta coverage has blossomed into one of the sport’s leading examples of what rowing can be when presented in the right way.
To commemorate this occasion – and because June wouldn’t feel right without some Henley-related hyperbole – we’re going to release a series of article highlighting what we believe are some of the best races to have been broadcast on the big screen. We’re covering the ‘Student’ races, dedicated to those in higher education who are racing for their collegiate boat clubs.
#5 Yale vs University of London, Island Challenge Cup (2022)
This felt like the official introduction of this event to the Henley Royal Regatta roster. Although the Trophy was inaugurated in 2021, the season felt a little lopsided, and Brookes ran out winners in a pilot event with a UK-only roster. In 2022, with the rain pouring on an epic Saturday sundown session, Yale took on the University of London, who were beaten finalists from the previous year. Employing that rugged style that so many collegiate crews are renowned for in the US, the Bulldogs hung on to the UL early running and gradually overtook them in the middle section of the course to set up a Sunday showdown with Brown University.
#4 Imperial v Newcastle, Prince Albert Challenge Cup (2017)
This one felt special because it was like walking back through the pages of time itself. 12 months ago, almost to the day, Newcastle had sprinted out early in the final of The Prince Albert Challenge Cup, only to be reeled back in by a classy unit from Edinburgh University. The roles were reversed in 2017, as Newcastle learned the lessons of yesteryear to bide their time and land a killer blow in almost the same patch of water that had been their undoing the year before. This was a classic Henley Royal Regatta race; a fast-starting boat is hauled in like prey due to their inability to break clear.
#3 University of Washington vs Oxford Brookes, Temple Challenge Cup (2018)
A clinic in eights rowing from perhaps the best collegiate programme on the planet. Whenever Washington makes the trip to Henley Royal Regatta, we know we’re in for something special. I confess that fast times and pitch-perfect steering influenced my choice to include this race; this did not have the high-octane drama like many on this list, but the Huskies stormed out to an early lead and simply sat on Brookes, dismissing anything thrown at them. In a year where we saw some of the best boats we’ve ever seen at Henley Royal Regatta in rapid conditions, this Washington eight (who are one of only two international winners in the past ten years) were a sight to behold.
#2 Newcastle vs Durham, Island Challenge Cup (2024)
Two fierce rivals. No daylight between them in nine long months of racing. A drizzly day, with a sky of storm. Friday at Henley Royal Regatta. This race had all the ingredients for a classic, and it did not disappoint. The Blue Star drove out to an early lead before Durham responded in the middle 1000m, seemingly drawing level as the crews passed Remenham Club. So often, we see the race narrative turn on its head and for the crew with the momentum to go on and win the contest, sometimes handsomely. Someone clearly hadn’t told Newcastle, who were not to be surpassed. They found a remarkable additional gear, drawing clear of a Durham boat that looked dumbfounded. Holly Youd of Newcastle would go on to win U23 World Rowing Championship gold with none other than Anna Grace of Durham that summer; their tussle on the Thames was just a preview of their fiery racing spirit.
#1 Oxford Brookes v Nereus, Temple Challenge Cup (2015)
A renewal of rivalries as old as the pages of the almanac that The Temple Challenge Cup will eventually be consigned to. In a year of blisteringly fast times, these two crews did almighty battle on the Friday of Henley Royal Regatta 2015 in a race that most dubbed the final two days early. Brookes were the holders but Nereus brought a crew of significant pedigree over from the Netherlands. Nereus broke the record to the Barrier and Fawley to drive out to a length’s advantage, before Brookes surged back to draw within a canvas of the flying Dutchmen. The winning time was 6:03, which remains only five seconds off the record and a full 22 seconds faster than that year’s winning time (which Nereus would set in taking the title).
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