One of the final instalments of the GB trialling process is set to take place this weekend, with 13 U23 sweep rowers invited to compete for a coveted spot in the seat racing and the crucial final selection post-Henley Royal Regatta. Each crew will first face a 1500-metre time trial, followed by a 2000-metre semi-final on Saturday afternoon, before competing in the final on Sunday.
Despite some absences due to The Boat Race and several rowers based overseas, the competition remains fierce, with five full U23 pairs and three mixed U23-Senior combinations still in the running. Conditions are forecast to be warm, with a slight cross-tail wind on Saturday and a headwind on Sunday.
Olivia Hill/ Aggie Burt, Oxford Brookes University
Having secured the top spot at the February Trials for the full U23 pair, finishing 16th overall, Olivia Hill and Aggie Burt will approach this weekend with confidence and a reputation to uphold. Hill will be aiming to replicate her performances from last year’s trial process, which culminated in a World Rowing Championship gold medal with the U23 women’s eight. Similarly, Burt, who also holds a World Rowing Championship title after winning gold in the U19 women’s eight in 2023, will be looking to step up to an U23 international vest this season. Having consistently represented Oxford Brookes’ first eight over the past two seasons, Hill and Burt were part of the victorious Island Challenge Cup crew at Henley Royal Regatta and, more recently, finished fifth overall at the Women’s Head of the River Race.
Daisy Jackson/ Izzie Kennedy, Durham University BC
As captain and vice-captain of Durham University Boat Club’s women’s squad, Daisy Jackson and Izzie Kennedy hope their strong synergy off the water translates to speed on it this weekend. Having won the championship women’s pairs at the BUCS Regatta in 2024, this pairing has already demonstrated their capabilities. With Kennedy’s international success at the U19 level, they both know exactly what needs to be done. The pair finished 18th overall and were the second-fastest full U23 pair at the February Trials, just 12 seconds behind their U23 counterparts from Oxford Brookes. However, with racing taking place over two kilometres this weekend, rather than five, the margin will likely decrease significantly, which could lead to some exciting side-by-side racing.
Tia Lenihan/ Harriet Taylor, Newcastle University BC
Tia Lenihan and Harriet Taylor may have spent less time racing together in a pair compared to some of their competitors, but their success as stalwarts of Newcastle’s first eight demonstrates their capability and flair for the sport. In 2024, the duo formed the bow pair of Newcastle’s first-ever eight, and women’s crew, to reach a final at Henley Royal Regatta. Their journey included a series of brutal duels against top universities, ultimately taking them to the Sunday of The Island Challenge Cup. This season, they’ve only built on the strong foundation set last year: at BUCS Head, they claimed victory in the championship eight by over five seconds, and at the Women’s Head of the River Race, they placed 12th overall.
Lenihan raced at the February Trials in a single scull, finishing as the 14th-ranked U23 in a field dominated by sculling specialists, further showcasing her versatility and strength. In this new combination, Lenihan and Taylor will be looking to lay down a strong performance that will not only carry them through the upcoming regatta season but also set the stage for a potential international debut this summer.
Izzy Sellers/ Emily Downing, Leander Club
In her first year trialling as an U23, Emily Downing will be aiming to secure another international vest after an outstanding season in which she won silver in the women’s eight at the U19 World Rowing Championships. Her partner, Izzy Sellers, brings a wealth of experience, having represented GB in the women’s lightweight double sculls at the U23 2023 World Rowing Championships. Sellers also boasts a successful university rowing career at Durham University, with highlights including winning the Haslam Trophy at Henley Women’s Regatta in 2023, alongside an impressive 13 national medals.
As a newly formed combination, Sellers raced at the February Trials in a single scull, finishing 21st overall and ranking 11th in the U23 category. Meanwhile, Downing competed in a pair with fellow Leander athlete Muryn Greene, placing 17th overall and being the sixth-fastest pair with an U23. With potential adjustments to form a faster combination, the Leander pair could push towards the top of the rankings this weekend.
Jessie Martin, University of London BC
Jessie Martin, racing alongside her more experienced teammate Daisy Faithfull, brings a wealth of experience and success at national and international levels, which will undoubtedly serve her well this weekend. Formidable performances at the February and April Trials last year saw Martin claim victory in the U23 women’s pairs, which ultimately earned her a seat in the GB women’s coxless four at the U23 orld Rowing Championships in Canada. Not only did her crew win gold as part of Team GB’s clean sweep of the U23 women’s sweep rowing events, but they also set a new World Best Time in their category.
Martin and Faithfull’s performance at the February Trials this season saw them emerge as the top pair containing an U23— a solid first step towards another international honour. I expect that, in pursuit of further success, Martin and Faithfull will be aiming to break into the A-final this weekend and challenge some of the senior-level crews, refusing to settle for anything less than victory in the U23 category.
Rhianna Sumpter, Oxford Brookes University BC
Having been selected for the women’s eight at the 2023 U23 World Rowing Championships, Rhianna Sumpter knows precisely what it takes to represent her country. However, after narrowly missing out on a medal by just 0.06 seconds, she also understands the sting of falling short by the smallest of margins. In 2024, Sumpter was again selected for the women’s eight at the U23 World Championships, where she won gold.
Sumpter is joined by fellow Oxford Brookes athlete, Grace Richards, with whom she won The Island Challenge Cup in 2023 and The Remenham Challenge Cup in 2024 at Henley Royal Regatta. In 2023, the pair finished tenth overall at the February Trials, ranking as the second-fastest crew containing an U23.
Prediction
With a mix of full-U23 and mixed U23-Senior pairs competing this weekend, making direct comparisons between the crews is challenging. However, only the narrowest margins will separate the full-U23 combinations. Given their experience together, I see Hill and Burt of Oxford Brookes and Jackson and Kennedy of Durham University as the frontrunners. Logically, I expect the U23-Senior combinations, which include Martin from University of London BC and Sumpter from Oxford Brookes University BC, to outpace the full-U23 crews. Among the 18 women’s pairs racing this weekend, it will be intriguing to see if any U23 combinations can break into the A-final or secure top spots in the B-final ahead of full-Senior crews.
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