With the cancellation of Pairs Head mere weeks ago, it falls to the Fours Head of the River to be our first big ticket crew race of the 25-26 season on the fabled Tideway. With what looks like a pretty good forecast and favourable tides for race day, our first run down the 6.8km championship course looks set to be an excellent staging ground for the season ahead. With 34 crews entered in this open club quads event, it feels somewhat of an understatement to say that there will be competition for the top spots. We are a few months into our new season now – the chains have been pulled; the weights have been dropped; and we’ve passed the start line a handful of times already. It is now time to see if these crews can hold their nerve amid a well-contested battle on one of the rowing world’s most challenging courses.
London Rowing Club
The restoration project is complete; it is reborn. The 2024-2025 season saw London Rowing Club’s men’s squad step back into the light as they claimed wins in both The Thames and Wyfold Challenge Cups at Henley Royal Regatta. They are a squad full of confidence and the feel-good factor who will be looking to stamp their mark early on home waters. Undoubtedly a well-drilled outfit, who will know the course and have more than a bit of momentum behind them, this crew will be looking to flex its muscles a little and show off the depth at LRC’s disposal.
Star Club
The rebuild has gathered pace, and Star Club looks ready to turn ambition into performance. With renewed depth in their senior squad and a clear intent to return to national prominence, the Bedford outfit arrives at this year’s Fours Head as a club on the rise. Training out of a revitalised base and benefiting from fantastic facilities and support, they will be eager to prove that their resurgence is more than just talk. Expect a composed, technically solid crew that knows how to move efficiently. If they find their rhythm early, they could surprise a few established names along the Tideway.
Tideway Scullers School
Tideway Scullers know every inch of this river, and that home-course familiarity will once again be one of their most significant assets. Their men’s squad has continued to strengthen year on year, blending returning experience with fresh speed from a deep talent pool of fresh faces and exceptionally competent ex-juniors. Their club quad will deliver the trademark Scullers style, aggressive through the water yet controlled out of it, with great rhythm. With the advantage of training daily on the Tideway, they will be expected to set the benchmark early; anything short of a top-tier finish would feel below their high internal standards.
Furnivall Sculling Club
Furnivall will approach this year’s Fours Head with quiet determination and a growing sense of purpose. They are a club steeped in sculling tradition, and they will see this year’s open quad as a way to showcase their technical expertise and commitment to developing technically sound crews with good boat feel. Their rowers are adept at the subtle nuances of sculling on the Tideway, with an ability to maintain balance and rhythm over long periods. This quad is primed to demonstrate that Furnivall’s sculling heritage can translate into competitive head‑race performances against more established outfits.
Army Rowing Club
Discipline and power define the Army Rowing Club, and their sculling entrant to this year’s Fours Head promises a blend of both. Any crew from this club is going to optimise a strong culture of teamwork and physical conditioning. Their presence on the UK rowing scene has steadily been growing in recent years, as they attend more races each season. While it is true that quads demand that little extra bit of technical cohesion and precision, this squad’s structured approach to training should give them a leg up on rhythm and balance. They may not yet match the speed of more established crews, but expect a composed, hard-working crew capable of a competitive top-half finish.
Prediction
Expect Tideway Scullers to take the win, with Star Club pushing hard for a surprise podium finish if they execute flawlessly. The others will likely settle in mid-pack, performing strongly but probably just outside the top three.
