With a final few prayers to the weather gods, we may finally see Fours Head get underway this Saturday for the first time since 2022.
In its last iteration, the women’s championship coxless four was won by Leander with a margin of 16 seconds over Thames. It would be a surprise to see such a margin of victory this time round, given the standard and calibre of some of these crews. Olympic and world medallists are dotted across the field, and several clubs will be in the hunt for the win.
Leander Club A
Leander’s A crew features four athletes fresh off their post-Worlds break. Eve Stewart, Lauren Irwin, Juliette Perry and Eleanor Brinkhoff were all part of the women’s eight that took home bronze in Shanghai. This followed a stellar summer racing season, picking up European and World Rowing Cup medals. Stewart and Irwin are no strangers to the four, having doubled up in this boat in Shanghai, where they finished fifth in the world. No other crew has this many decorated athletes in the boat, so they must only be viewed as favourites and will no doubt hold themselves to this standard. What counts against them is the length of time they have been back training, a matter of days, not weeks, so they will face crews fitter and better prepared for 6km down the Tideway.
Thames Rowing Club A
Thames’ start to the season has been far from smooth, with the departure of women’s head coach Tom Mapp. It’s a club to be feared in bigger boats, but has yet to have had the chance to replicate this in the smaller crews. Featuring winners of the inaugural Bridge Challenge Plate, their A crew is one to be wary of, especially given their experience and exposure to the Tideway daily. The question is how much the squad has changed since the summer, and how much time and fitness they have under their belts. Betting against Thames, though, is usually a bad idea.
Molesey Boat Club
The rise of Molesey’s women over the past couple of seasons has been something to behold, and they are fast becoming a dominant force in female rowing in the UK. Their recent second place at Head of the Charles signalled this, and they will undoubtedly be on the hunt for some trophies this weekend. The coxless four will feature half of their Head of the Charles eight, including Megan Slabbert, strokewoman of the GB women’s four and eight last season, and Olympic bronze medallist Holly Dunford. This crew will be hot on the heels of Thames and Leander, who go off ahead of them. Given their recent results and fitness, this Molesey crew could help continue the club’s rampage to the top of women’s rowing.
Oxford University
The Fours Head is a good marker during the winter season, breaking up the monotony of training. For Oxford, it may be viewed more critically given the time-precious nature of the boat race season. Although Cambridge are absent, this is one of the most significant opportunities this side of Christmas to lay down a marker on the championship course (albeit back to front). Whisper it quietly, but their recent third-place performance at Head of the Charles indicated this could be a Dark Blue campaign to remember. Early-season form can sometimes mean little, but it’s a warning shot at least, and this weekend is an opportunity to provide another one. The crew is stacked with international athletes, including a previous world champion in the four and an Olympic bronze medallist in the eight, Heidi Long, alongside newcomer and Spanish Olympian Esther Briz Zamorano, who placed sixth in the women’s single at the recent World Rowing Championships. This is a boat to look out for and will no doubt be ready for anything the Tideway throws at them.
Marlow Rowing Club
Further down the start order are Marlow. The club has become somewhat of a dark horse on the domestic rowing scene. Under Head Coach Jamie Axon, their men’s squad has taken various scalps in the past couple of seasons, and it would be no surprise to see their women’s squad start to do the same. This coxless four features Olympic bronze medallist Annie Campbell-Orde and Irish Olympian Imogen Magner. Whilst they may not challenge for the top spot, Marlow are certainly ones to look out for in the coming future.
Prediction
Whilst Leander have the names, it’s Molesey who have the fitness. Expect this to be a tightly contested race between the two crews, with Oxford not far behind. Should their current trajectory continue, it’s the black and white of Molesey who will come out on top.
