Holders: Oxford Brookes University ‘A’
Entries: 43 (to be reduced to 16 by Qualifying races)
Stocks in The Prince Albert Challenge Cup have never been higher. After an ‘off’ year 12 months ago, entries have more than doubled from 17 up to 43, with an incredibly healthy international entry. 12 crews will travel from the United States of America, France, and the Netherlands, creating a brilliant melting pot of intrigue and high-calibre racing. With a number of the top domestic programmes prioritising this year’s event, The Prince Albert Challenge Cup could serve up some of the best match-ups across the six days of racing.
Oxford Brookes University
Let’s start with the defending champions. Brookes had a Regatta for the ages last year, including two boats in the final of The Prince Albert Challenge Cup. It’s no secret that there are off-water challenges for the entire Brookes club and coaching staff, but the indomitable war machine has continued to roll on through the regatta months. Individually, this crew has some outstanding athletes, including Lorenzo Previati, who joins Brookes from St Edward’s School and was part of the Teddies crew that won The Princess Elizabeth Challenge Cup two years ago. This particular combination had its first race together at Marlow Regatta and has yet to prove that they are greater than the sum of their parts, as so many Brookes crews can do. This combination missed out on the A-final yesterday and were pushed into second place by Royal Chester RC. There is work to be done if Brookes are to win The Prince Albert Challenge Cup this year and secure their fourth consecutive title in this event.
University of London
In 2021, the University of London stormed to victory, their third time lifting the trophy since the event’s inception. Fast forward four years, and Smithy’s boys are in pole position coming into this year’s regatta. UL has been unstoppable, winning at BUCS Regatta and the Saturday of Metropolitan Regatta, and travelling abroad to win in Ghent. UL have recently returned from their warm-weather training camp in Brive-la-Gaillarde, and it paid dividends for them, as they went on to win championship coxed fours at Marlow Regatta by clear water over their closest competitors, Edinburgh University. In the UK, we tend to see our crews through red, white, and blue-tinted glasses when comparing them to what might be coming overseas. However, when UL goes after The Prince Albert Challenge Cup, silverware tends to follow them, and this year is shaping up to be no different.
Edinburgh University
Edinburgh are stacking up this entry with a crew that has seen action over several Henley Royal Regatta campaigns. All but one, their stroke Henry Blackwell, have raced in at least two previous Regattas. Experience is worth its weight in gold down the iconic Henley course, and tapping into all those lessons learned has been vital for the Baby Blue. It’s been a season with a good progression curve. Edinburgh has built from fifth place in championship coxed fours at BUCS Head to fourth at BUCS Regatta, third and second at the Metropolitan Regatta, and finally a second-place finish at Marlow Regatta last weekend. Rather than fly abroad like some of their competitors, Edinburgh opted to stay and take advantage of the picturesque lochs in Scotland for their training camp. Ask any Scot about their water and they will tell you it’s better than anything else the UK can produce. Let’s see if there’s truth to that and if Edinburgh can produce another magical performance, just like they did in 2016.
Newcastle University
In his 20th season at the helm of the northern stalwart, Angelo Savarino has created a lasting legacy of success that has seen them rise to the top of university rowing, most notably with their Victor Ludorum wins at BUCS Regatta in 2016, 2018, 2019, and 2025. Newcastle University last won The Prince Albert Challenge Cup back in 2017. Alongside Alex Haynes and Will New that year were a certain James Robson and Will Stewart, who were selected as the Spare Pair at last summer’s Olympic Games. This year’s outfit, led by U23 European silver medallist Ben Brockway, has mixed results. A win at BUCS Head was backed up by a silver medal at BUCS Regatta. However, after a big block of training, the crew finished eighth in Saturday’s A-final of the Metropolitan Regatta before placing fifth the next day. Durham Regatta saw the crew bounce back and win the Grand Challenge Cup against a strong Durham combination, but with the Blue Star opting to stay north and train on the Tyne rather than make the trip to Marlow Regatta, they will be flying under the radar come Henley Royal Regatta. With three of this crew returning next year, it goes without saying that you should expect fireworks from any Newcastle unit.
University of Bristol
Bristol rounds out the ‘big five’ UK entries, as I am loosely referring to them. If The Prince Albert Challenge Cup had no international entries, the semifinals would be made up of four of the five aforementioned boats, in my view. Bristol have been showing signs of transforming into a proper championship club, and this season was one of the best indications that they are heading in the right direction. Their coxed four started 2025 with a second-place finish behind Newcastle at BUCS Head on the Tyne before their first eight raced to 25th at the Head of the River Race. Regatta season has been fruitful for the West Country club. Bristol has consistently been in A-finals, with fifth at BUCS, before fourth and seventh at the Metropolitan Regatta. However, their margin at Marlow, eight seconds back on Edinburgh, is a sizeable one, indicating there is still a frontier to be conquered if they are to make it through to Sunday.
Imperial College London
Perhaps the ‘big six’ would have a better ring to it, but Imperial College have been just behind the chasing pack across the season. This was most notable during racing at Marlow, which saw them finish third in the B-final, some three seconds back on Brookes. Peter Hardcastle’s boys are up against it in both The Temple Challenge Cup and The Prince Albert Challenge Cup, and the Putney-based club could be staring down the barrel of another disappointing Henley Royal Regatta after their Temple offering spluttered to a win in the E-final at Marlow. BUCS Regatta saw this crew finish sixth, a step back from their fourth-place result at BUCS Head. Recent indicators are that the men of Imperial College London may have just five athletes racing across the student men’s events in just over a week.
Harvard University, USA
Harvard are travelling en masse to Henley this year, and woe betide anyone who ignores this rising Crimson tide. Their Prince Albert Challenge Cup juggernaut is a combination from across their second and third Varsity eights, alongside Alexander Sanchez-Fretz, who won silver in the Varsity four. Both crews won at Eastern Sprints before the 3V won at the national championships, and the 2V took silver behind the Washington Huskies. While Harvard struggled against Brookes ‘B’ in last year’s event, it is worth noting that they were all lightweight athletes. Harvard’s last assault on The Prince Albert Challenge Cup ended in glory when they triumphed over Durham in the 2019 final. It was also a campaign with one of the most outstanding finishes of all time; take a look at their semifinal against Brookes. This time, they’re coming off a high after sweeping Yale at their annual regatta after the IRA National Championship. At this point, the British-tinted glasses are returned to my nose, and it’s time to go out on a limb. Harvard has assembled a crew that is capable of making the semifinals, but to take on and beat the very best that the likes of UL and Edinburgh have to offer will be a tall order, especially as they will be jumping into this combination after being in the eights up until the Harvard-Yale Regatta.
University of San Diego, USA
Making the longest trip to Henley Royal Regatta out of any other entries, the San Diego Toreros are sending their best athletes to represent their institution. Coach Bart Thompson has assembled one of the strongest crews in programme history, with many of the boat winning collegiate fours at last year’s Head of The Charles. Since then, San Diego has spent some time in the eights but after coming fourth in the Petite Final of the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation Championships, they returned to the coxed four for the IRA National Championship. On Cooper River, the Toreros were fourth in the Petite Final, and tenth overall in a field of 39 boats. Sitting at two will be Rex Bales, who holds the club’s 6km record and 2km record after pulling a 5:56.1, a handy engine to have down the Henley stretch.
Riverfront Recapture, U.S.A.
Racing as Riverfront Recapture, this crew comprises four members of Trinity College, the DIII programme who went undefeated this season and were crowned national champions on Cooper River. Throughout this campaign, Trinity won at the Knecht Cup, the New England Rowing Championships, the National Invitational Rowing Championships and the IRA National Championship regatta. It’s worth noting that in blisteringly quick conditions, the crew posted a 5:40 in the day’s final race on Saturday. Trinity has been the top-performing DIII crew all season long, and if they were to line up in D1 standings, I guess they would be able to beat some of the crews ranked 20-24. They placed eighth at Marlow Regatta and will have no trouble navigating Friday’s Qualifiers and getting into the round of 16.
College of The Holy Cross, USA
The Crusaders are making their first trip to Henley Royal Regatta since 2002. Jim Barr’s programme will be sending a crew in The Temple Challenge Cup as well as this Prince Albert Challenge Cup combination. This is half of their second Varsity eight that placed 23rd at the IRA National Championship regatta at Cooper River, NJ. Throughout the season, they have picked up impressive wins over other 2Vs, including MIT, Hobart, Marist, and Gonzaga. However, given their performances three weeks ago at the national championships, Holy Cross will have to go through qualifiers on Friday, and I think getting into the main draw would be a huge marker for the programme.
Temple University, USA
The Owls, led by Brendan Cunningham, will have a Temple Challenge Cup eight alongside this Prince Albert Challenge Cup crew. Temple are keeping their Varsity eight together, so this coxed four has been selected from their second Varsity eight that placed 16th at the IRA National Championship regatta. These athletes have won at the Dad Vail Regatta, at the Bergen Cup, and crucially, ahead of Qualifiers, have beaten Holy Cross’ 2V in the regular season.
Utrechtsche Studenten Roeivereeniging Triton, Netherlands
Let’s take a break from the American crews and come back to them later in the action. This preview needs some Dutch magic sprinkled through it, and Triton certainly provides that. It is worth noting that this preview is not written in any particular order because this Triton crew could travel over and blow this whole competition wide open. The season has been dominated by coxless fours racing for this entire crew, but goodness me, they have done well. Triton won Elite and Gevorderde Coxless Fours at ARB Bosbaanwedstrijden after they were crowned national champions in the coxless fours. Triton were second behind UL whilst racing in Ghent, and after that, the momentum has continued throughout the season; they are serious contenders for this year’s Prince Albert Challenge Cup.
Algemene Utrechtse Studenten Roeivereniging Orca, Netherlands
For Orca, just their cox, Marit Eradus, brings some Henley Royal Regatta experience, having steered last year’s crew in The Island Challenge Cup. However, the men he will be steering have had a tremendous season, winning every 2km race they have entered this year, including the Elite event at ARB Bosbaanwedstrijden at the beginning of the month.
Tilburgse Studenten Roeivereniging Vidar, Netherlands
An intriguing entry. While the Stewards are sending them through Qualifiers, any Dutch crew is not to be sniffed at. Like their counterparts at Triton, this crew from Vidar have spent a lot of time in the coxless four and it has paid off, as they won the Dutch Development League in this boat class. With a few of these guys tickling the six-minute marker over 2km on the RP3, this is a powerful combination looking to navigate Qualifiers and make a dent in the knock-out racing.
Institut National des Sciences Appliquées de Lyon, France
When talking about dark horses in this year’s Prince Albert Challenge Cup, the French are certainly one of them. Again, they’ll have to go through Qualifiers, which should be a breeze. The quartet are highly experienced at junior level, racing at either the Coupe de la Jeunesse, the U19 European Rowing Championships, or the U23 World Rowing Championships. Between them, they have won at least 15 national titles, and at this year’s regatta, they placed third in the coxless four. Drilled by Arnaud Boudrandi, I suspect they will be miffed that they have to go through Qualifiers, but I can’t wait to see how they get on once they, presumably, get through.
Massachusetts Institute of Technology, U.S.A.
Speaking of qualifiers, the MIT Engineers will also have to participate in Friday’s time trial. The Boston-based crew are sending half of their second Varsity eight. Unlike Holy Cross, this crew did not race at the IRAs; however, at the National Invitational Rowing Championships on Lake Quinsigamond earlier in the season, MIT finished less than a second behind Bates in the opening heat. The Engineers finished third in a close Petite Final, taking third in a race won by Marist. Qualifiers will be tough for MIT, and given I expect Holy Cross to be quicker, MIT will have a tough time getting through Friday’s racing.
University of Virginia, U.S.A.
The Cavaliers travel across the pond as ACRA National Champions. To provide some more context for those entrenched in collegiate racing, the ACRA National Championship Regatta is considered the National Championship for collegiate club programmes and all programmes outside the NCAA/IRA structure. Virginia has had a great season, winning both the Varsity and second Varsity eight at ACRA, and this Prince Albert Challenge Cup Four will be the top half of that 2V. The only blotch on their season was that they lost to Michigan’s 2V by one foot earlier in the season, but bounced back finely at ACRA. This will be the first time we have welcomed the Virginia men since 2023, when they exited The Temple Challenge Cup on the Wednesday.
University of Michigan, U.S.A.
Much like Virginia, Michigan men’s rowing falls under ACRA jurisdiction, and these Wolverines have all featured in Varsity eight crews over the years. However, Michigan’s Varsity boat had to settle for 12th at the national championship. The flip side of this though is that the team won the national team championship for the 15th time in 16 years, medalling in six out of the ten races, snatching the title back from Purdue. Like other US universities that have to progress through qualifiers, getting into next week’s racing would be a huge achievement.
Other Mentions
You’ve stuck with me for 2500 words; why not a few more? Other notable mentions following the Marlow Regatta must go to Radley College and Warwick University. While not troubling the top end of racing, these two crews should be targeting side-by-side racing. The schoolboys are half the crew that won second eights at the National Schools’ Regatta and placed four seconds ahead of Warwick at the tail end of the B-final at Marlow Regatta in the coxed four. Further down the Marlow field, you come to Oxford University, University of London ‘B’, and Durham University.
Prediction…
I think there are five crews in with a chance of winning. UL are the safest domestic bet but money on Edinburgh wouldn’t be a bad idea either. From overseas, Orca and Triton could throw a spanner in the works as could Harvard as they travel from the Charles.
Let’s go with the home favourite. Let’s go with the University of London.
