Holders: Oxford Brookes University
Entries: 44 (To be reduced to 24 by Qualifying races)
The wait is over: Henley Royal Regatta is here. One of Britain’s most cherished sporting events, rowers and non-rowers alike are drawn to the banks to watch the six days of facing unfold, and the unforgettable drama Henley promises year after year.
As Henley Royal Regatta increases its gender parity, 2025 marks the fifth edition of The Island Challenge Cup, which, as the only event exclusively for student women, promises some of the closest and most eagerly anticipated racing. The heats of The Island Challenge Cup commence on Wednesday, with eight races taking place across the day, and eight crews being eliminated. The eight crews selected by the Stewards will begin their racing on Thursday, facing the victors of the previous day’s racing. From then on, each day will see 50% of the crews eliminated, with only two crews left standing by Sunday, when the winner is decided.
Oxford Brookes University BC
Relegated to third place at BUCS Regatta after a long period of consecutive gold medals, Oxford Brookes enter The Island Challenge Cup with a point to prove. Having won the event three times out of its four-year history, this crew has a reputation to live up to, and the desire to match the performances of their predecessors weighs heavily upon their shoulders. The rules state that crews can contain a maximum of two previous winners; however, with the introduction of The Bridge Challenge Plate, Brookes have put forward a completely fresh crew. Brookes ‘A’ contains four members of their freshly crowned aspirational academic eights-winning crew at Henley Women’s Regatta, with the remainder coming from their championship ‘B’ crew, who were defeated by Thames ‘B’ in the heats. This crew raced together on the Sunday of the Metropolitan Regatta, placing eighth in the A-final behind crews from Newcastle and Durham. Having had time to gel and with momentum behind them, a fifth title for their university could be on the cards.
Durham University BC
Durham University are one of the UK’s top university rowing programmes, with a solid track record of success behind them. One of Durham’s standout performances this season was the Metropolitan Regatta, where on Sunday, they placed fifth in the A-final, ranking them as the top Island Challenge Cup eligible crew by 2.3 seconds. At Henley Women’s Regatta, Durham placed tenth in the time trial in the championship eights, but in the heats lost to eventual finalists Thames ‘A’ by 3/4 of a length. Both 2023 and 2024 saw Durham come head-to-head with Northern rivals Newcastle on Friday in the quarterfinals, with each club winning the grudge match once in some of the most exciting racing Henley Royal Regatta had to offer. With several strong performances under their belt, Durham have laid the foundations for yet another impressive Island Challenge Cup campaign, and there is no doubt they have their sights set on reaching the weekend’s racing once again.
Newcastle University BC
Newcastle upset the status quo when they won the championship women’s eights at BUCS Regatta in May. The crew interrupted the four-year-long winning streak of Oxford Brookes and led the race from the opening strokes, never relenting to the pressure bestowed upon them by London in the neighbouring lane. At Henley Women’s Regatta, Newcastle was one of two university crews to reach the Saturday’s racing. Having drawn the eventual victors – a composite from Durham University, Leander Club and UL – Newcastle faced a difficult challenge; however, the race will have been excellent preparation for what they will likely encounter next week. A record-breaking Henley Royal Regatta in 2024 saw Newcastle reach the final of The Island Challenge Cup, marking the first time a Newcastle women’s crew or eight made it that far through the regatta. The quarter and semifinals were two of the week’s most thrilling, as Newcastle tussled with Durham and London for a place in the subsequent round. With six of last year’s crew featuring again, Newcastle possesses the knowledge and experience needed to attempt to replicate last year’s success, and any opposition will have a challenging task on their hands to break this fierce unit apart.
University of London BC
The University of London also boasts one of the premier UK rowing programmes. After placing ninth overall at the Women’s Head of the River Race, UL claimed a silver medal at BUCS Regatta in the championship eights. UL will be taking confidence from their result on the Saturday of the Metropolitan Regatta, where they placed seventh in the A-final ahead of all other Island Challenge Cup eligible crews. Only last weekend, their speed was tested once again at Henley Women’s Regatta, where they raced an incredibly tough match against a Molesey crew containing Olympic bronze medallist Holly Dunford, to concede by a narrow 1.2 seconds. After being eliminated in the first round in 2023, Henley Royal Regatta 2024 saw UL progress to the semifinals of The Island Challenge Cup. This race saw UL and Newcastle fight tooth and nail for a coveted space in the final in a showcase of grit and determination, but ultimately, the Blue Star crew crossed the line half a length ahead of UL. Determined to right that wrong and make it to the final like they did in 2021, the University of London will do all it takes to travel home with red boxes next weekend.
Rutgers University, USA
2025 will see the first women’s crew from Rutgers University compete at Henley Royal Regatta. The last time any crew from Rutgers competed in the regatta was 2003 – likely before many of this year’s competitors were born. At the NCAAs, Rutgers claimed eighth place in the Varsity eight, and at the Women’s Eastern Sprints, they won by clear water over the likes of Brown and Harvard Radcliffe. With a guaranteed race as one of two American entries pre-qualified for the event, Rutgers’ ‘A’ crew will be entering the week confidently, having had time to acclimatise to rowing on the Henley reach.
Princeton University, USA
Since the inception of The Island Challenge Cup in 2021, Princeton University have made the voyage across the Atlantic Ocean twice – in 2022 and 2023. However, in both years, the Tigers failed to progress past the first round. A phenomenal season has seen this crew of lightweights unbeaten, including golds at the Women’s Eastern Sprints Championships and the IRA National Championships, where they set an all-time course record. Princeton’s exploits in the lightweight rowing world will be tested as they come head-to-head with heavyweight athletes and the headwinds often found along the Henley Royal Regatta race course. After the success of Princeton’s Ladies Challenge Plate-winning crew in 2024, 2025 could be the year we see the women of Princeton feature in the later stages of The Island Challenge Cup.
Groninger Studenten Roeivereniging Aegir, Netherlands
The students from Aegir boast an impressive racing portfolio and are returning to Henley Royal Regatta to challenge for The Island Challenge Cup once again. Their preparations have seen them place first in the female elite eights at the Northwave Regatta (the de facto national championships) and second in the same category at the Raceroei Regatta and Ratzeburg Regatta. Having competed at Henley Royal Regatta twice before, the crew, featuring a similar line-up to that in 2024, are familiar with this course. Last year, their opening round saw a commanding victory against Drexel University (USA) by 3¼ lengths, only to be edged out by Durham University in the subsequent race in a one-length defeat. Blending domestic success with Henley Royal Regatta experience, Aegir is poised to be a serious contender this week.
Delftsche Studenten Roeivereeniging Laga, Netherlands
D.S.R.V Laga are another Dutch crew to have been pre-qualified for the regatta by the Stewards, highlighting them as key competitors to watch out for. At Raceroei Regatta, Laga triumphed to win the female elite eight category by almost eight seconds ahead of Aegir. The last time Laga’s women raced at Henley Royal Regatta was in 2023, where they stormed through The Princess Grace Challenge Cup to reach the semifinals. With proven speed and national bragging rights over their Dutch rivals, Laga appear well-placed to make a deep run in The Island Challenge Cup—and an appearance on Thursday or Friday’s racing would come as no surprise.
Amsterdamsche Studenten Roeivereeniging Nereus, Netherlands
Completing the Dutch trio is A.S.R. Nereus, another club well-acquainted with Henley Royal Regatta, having previously contested The Island Challenge Cup twice. Nereus are one of the few international entries this year to have competed at Henley Women’s Regatta, in which they placed fifth in the time trial for the Colgan Foundation Cup for Aspirational Academic Eights. Following victory against York University, Nereus faced a tough race against Newcastle, whose second eight took control early and held off the Dutch challenge. Nereus looks to be evenly matched with many of the crews in this year’s field, and their progress may ultimately hinge on the luck of the draw.
Tufts University, USA
A private research university in Medford and Somerville, Massachusetts, Tufts have had an excellent season by their standards. They were the NIRC/NESCAC championship in the women’s Varsity eight before also securing victory at the New England Invitational Regatta a day later. In early June, they secure back-to-back NCAA Division III titles, winning the Varsity final by just under two seconds. The Jumbos also retained their women’s collegiate eights title at the Head of the Charles in October and brought most of their top boat over to Henley Royal Regatta this year. Division III speeds are not comparable to the sharp end of UK racing, so I don’t think Tufts will be challenging for the Trophy, but they may be a sticky encounter for unprepared or complacent crews.
Prediction
The one-on-one racing that Henley Royal Regatta offers tests more than a crew’s ability to produce speed. It demands the ability to handle noise from spectators just metres away; wash from powerboats as they pass gaps in the booms; and most importantly, a crew’s ability to remain cohesive and unified no matter how intense the pressure from their opposition becomes. To some extent, a crew’s progression throughout the regatta depends on the draw, which, instead of being picked from a hat, is picked from The Grand Challenge Cup. That being said, the fastest crew, of course, should beat any opposition placed before it.
This season has seen all of the British crews named above claim top spot at least once, so I think this year’s racing will likely be some of the closest and most intense we’ve ever seen before, as the standard of The Island Challenge Cup rises year-on-year. That said, I will not be surprised if this year’s final is a rematch of last year’s: Newcastle University versus Oxford Brookes University. While last year saw Brookes claim their third title by 2¼ lengths, I believe this year will be a much tighter race, and 2025 could be the year Newcastle University claims their first title in The Island Challenge Cup.
