Holders: Headington School
Entries: 32 (To be reduced to 24 by Qualifying races)
The 2025 edition of The Prince Philip Challenge Trophy is shaping up to be one of the most exciting yet. A total of 32 junior women’s eights, made up of entries from the United Kingdom, United States, and Australia, are landing in Oxfordshire to fight for the ultimate prize: the red box. With 12 crews already pre-qualified, the remaining 20 will battle it out on Friday in the time trial, where only a further 12 more will make it through to the main Draw. With returning contenders, hopeful newcomers, and a few international wildcards, this year’s field carries a sense of excitement about what’s to come. Let’s take a look at a few of the crews aiming to write their names into the Henley Royal Regatta history books.
Shiplake College
The bees are poised to unleash their sting. Ascending steadily through the ranks of junior women’s sweep rowing in the UK, Shiplake has exercised patience in pursuit of the pinnacle of rowing, and their efforts are now bearing fruit. They will have many factors to consider, such as new competitors and changing conditions, but if the past season has taught us anything, it is that Shiplake knows how to bring the heat on race day. The crew will be looking to Amelia Westbrook, U19 world silver medallist, to dip her hand into the fire when racing, and she’s abetted by a formidable lineup, all of which adds to the grandeur of Shiplake rowing. Dressed in yellow, black, and maroon, they’ll be hard to miss, and possibly even harder to beat.
Their results this season have been polarising. When they hit top gear, they are unbeatable, but they lack consistency, as was evidenced on Sunday at Henley Women’s Regatta. They lost out in the semifinal to St Edward’s School, a crew they comfortably beat at the National Schools’ Regatta when they became national champions back at the end of May. They were also well off the pace at the Schools’ Head of the River, losing out to Headington, who now look like a better version of themselves after an unusually poor run out at Nottingham. To win at Henley Royal Regatta requires more than just raw speed; you need a dose of good fortune, steadfast belief, and leaders in the camp. If Shiplake can bring all these factors to bear, they are in with a fantastic shot of bringing home The Prince Philip Challenge Trophy for the very first time.
Headington School
Will 2025 herald a changing of the guard, or can Headington defend their title through another Henley cycle? They looked back to their brilliant best at the weekend, winning the Peabody Cup for junior eights at Henley Women’s Regatta, after an uncertain period at the National Schools’ Regatta. A line-up change looks to have worked wonders, with the talented Sophie Haisman moving back to the four-seat from her previous berth at stroke.
This year features a notably different crew composition compared to last summer, and that shift may pose challenges for the Oxford-based powerhouse—having lost some big names—but head coach Ryan Demaine has a reservoir of top-tier performances under his belt. Winning the Schools’ Head of the River was the first step on the road to a red box, a road that this programme knows better than most how to journey along.
St Edward’s School
Blue and gold is back in fashion. The Teddies’ first eight have enjoyed a fantastic 2024–25 season and could finish with a strong run down the Henley Royal Regatta track. ‘Podium’ finishes at the Schools’ Head of the River, Wallingford Regatta, National Schools’ Regatta, and Henley Women’s Regatta should give the crew a massive confidence boost for the week ahead. What sets this crew apart is their hunger to improve: over the past year, the St Edward’s girls have raced against senior crews like Leander Club and Imperial College, both of which are considered to be among the pinnacle of GB rowing, and those side-by-side matchups have given them hard-earned high-level experience.
Although they suffered a loss to Headington at Henley Women’s Regatta, the fact that they were able to unseat the national champions from Shiplake shows this is a crew headed in the right direction. Coached by Natasha Townsend and stroked by GB U19 international, Isabel Johnson, this crew have what it takes to make the weekend. Anything else from there would be a huge bonus.
Wallingford Rowing Club
Wallingford may not carry A-list status like some other clubs, but after steady bruising in spring racing, they deserve a seat at the table. After a tricky run at Wallingford Regatta and the National Schools’ Regatta, placing fifth in both, they rallied to third at the Metropolitan Regatta, placing just behind Henley and ahead of teams like Tideway Scullers and Sir William Perkins’. Most recently, a semifinal finish at Henley Women’s Regatta pre-qualified the crew for this Trophy and showed their step-up since earlier in the season.
The crew is relatively young. Five of them – cox Alice Hull, stroke Lily Clayton plus Lucy Mead, Florence Schilizzi and Naomi Bell – raced for Great Britain at the GB-France Match last summer in the coxed four, meaning they have at least another year on the circuit before moving on to pastures new. With that in mind, coach Katie Greves may view this season as a formative campaign in pursuit of honours in 2026.
One weakness is tricky conditions—the National Schools’ Regatta on the notoriously windy Nottingham course exposed that. You can never trust Henley-on-Thames to be all sunshine and rainbows, so this unit will need to be aware of this. If they can stay loose and long in the heat of the moment, this crew could potentially spring an upset or two.
The Lady Eleanor Holles School
The Lady Eleanor Holles School have had their fair share of ups and downs over the past couple of seasons, but the 24/25 season must be considered an up in my books. Paired with a beautiful new Filippi eight, their senior eight delivered a convincing fifth in the School category at the Women’s Head of the River Race early in the year. Soon after, they headed to Italy for a training camp and returned to place fourth in the A-final at Wallingford Regatta—a jump from no placing in 2024. Their result of sixth at the National Schools’ Regatta was perhaps a disappointing return on investment after finishing fourth in the time trial, but they did have to make a medical subsitution before the side-by-side racing.
While a shot at The Prince Philip Challenge Trophy may remain just out of reach this year, LEH are very much back in the conversation under the guidance of ex-Oxford coach and former GB lightweight, Jamie Kirkwood. Kirkwood focuses on the technical side of rowing, so expect this crew to be well-drilled and accomplished in the art of navigating tricky conditions. I do not expect an early exit for them; we should expect composed, competitive racing from a crew rediscovering momentum and steadily climbing the ranks again.
Henley Rowing Club
Back on home waters, these girls have a wealth of experience to draw on. Racing between the booms may seem straightforward, but the flow of the stream, motorboat wash, and that extra 112 metres offer tactical variables to exploit. Having made it to Thursday last year—missing out by a length to Shiplake—this Henley crew will be keen for any edge to push through to the weekend. Despite a string of second-place finishes at Wallingford and the Metropolitan Regatta, falling short of Headington and St Edward’s School, respectively, this crew remains within striking distance of the summit. They will be targeting Henley Royal Regatta as the venue to close the gap finally.
Latymer Upper School
Fourth in Nottingham at the National Schools’ Regatta, Latymer have had an excellent year in the schoolgirl eight. They followed this up with second at the Metropolitan Regatta in girls’ school eights, a marked improvement from eighth at the Schools’ Head of the River. They were also beaten quarterfinalists at Henley Women’s Regatta last weekend, narrowly losing out to Wallingford Rowing Club. They will need to find some speed between now and the beginning of racing to challenge for a weekend slot, but Henley Royal Regatta can so often be determined by momentum. Start well, and the winds of change can sweep in at your back.
Newport Aquatic Centre, USA
Representing the California powerhouse rowing scene, Newport Aquatic Centre return to the Henley Royal Regatta waters with serious momentum. They claimed second in the women’s youth eight at the USRowing Youth Nationals, just short of RowAmerica Rye—a crew that famously reached the final at Henley Royal Regatta last year. Stroked by Sydney Chait-Walter and coxed by Grace Galipeau, they’ll be hoping to advance past Saturday this time; 2024 saw them exit to Headington by only two-thirds of a length.
Their other results include wins at the San Diego Crew Classic and the Southwest Regional Championships. They also raced in a quad and a four at Henley Women’s Regatta, although they had just stepped off a plane from the USRowing Youth National Championships, so it’s hard to read too much into their results. Once they have time to acclimate to Henley and the Regatta stretch, I expect stronger results from this talented group of athletes. With that foundation and a year of hard-earned experience, Newport are poised to mount a deeper challenge on British waters this time and be a strong contender for the red box.
Saugatuck Rowing Club, USA
One of just two American entries in this year’s Prince Philip Challenge Trophy, Saugatuck is responsible for representing the East Coast’s elite junior women’s sweep contingent—and they do so with conviction. Having finished fourth at the USRowing Youth National Championships in the women’s youth eights and second at the San Diego Crew Classic, this crew has serious speed and can mix with the top dogs. Their season begun in Boston with second and fourth in women’s youth eights at the Head of the Charles before they won the Northeast Regional Championships.
Coxed by Madeline Casano and coached by Michael O’Hara, who took over as head coach of the programme in 2021, the crew’s bond goes beyond the water: they raised funds for this trip through community efforts, including braving ‘polar plunges’ to support their Henley Royal Regatta dreams. That kind of commitment speaks volumes about their tenacity, and I believe a matchup against these girls will be a serious feat, one that may be hard to overcome.
Kinross Wolaroi School, AUS
Our first Australian crew of two on this docket, Kinross Wolaroi from New South Wales, will want nothing more than the cherished red box. At the 2025 Australian Rowing Championships, their U19 coxed four secured gold, and their schoolgirl eight claimed first in the sprint, clocking a blistering 1:33 over 500 metres. Although their nationals performance in the eight were lacklustre compared to their usual standards, they still ended the season as NSW State and NSW Head of the River champions in the schoolgirl eight. Henley Royal Regatta is a different beast to anything in Australia, though—a 2,112-metre course that will test their ability to sustain speed under the unique demands of the event and the pressure it brings. An Australian crew did win this Trophy in 2022; it remains to be seen whether Kinross can emulate that remarkable St Catherine’s School boat.
Mercantile Rowing Club, AUS
Situated in the heart of Melbourne, Mercantile may be unfamiliar to many UK competitors this year, but they certainly shouldn’t be overlooked. Training alongside their Wargrave eight entry, their Prince Philip Trophy crew has been sharpening their racing on the Yarra River. Interestingly, the junior women didn’t enter an eight at Henley Women’s, but their quad raced confidently through to the quarterfinals. Like their international counterpart Saugatuck, the Mercantile girls have been dedicated on and off the water. Their Henley campaign has been fuelled by significant fundraising: Mackenzie Pugh, the crew’s four-seat, completed a remarkable 24‑hour “ergo-thon.” The Henley course should take a little less than 24 hours to race — but it’ll be interesting to see just how fast their eight can go when stacked up against international competitors.
Hinksey Sculling School
Hinksey seems to have taken a different path this year, notably stepping back from the eight in recent races and instead focusing on smaller boat categories. Famously, they won the championship girls’ eights category at the National Schools’ Regatta last year, demonstrating depth and experience in the boat class. However, their absence from key events like Henley Women’s Regatta, National Schools’ Regatta, and the Metropolitan Regatta raises questions, not least with the Stewards who have determined that this boat must go through Friday’s Qualifiers. It appears as if they are focusing on technical development in smaller boats, but it remains to be seen if they can translate that into the aggressive, ruthless rowing the eights demand.
Prediction
The only thing I can predict for certain is that this will be a real nail-biter. The red box is the prize everyone wants, but only one crew walks away with it on the Sunday of Henley Royal Regatta. My views are always shifting, but it looks like a classic clash between domestic champions and international challengers. Headington, fresh off a stunning performance at Henley Women’s Regatta, will be brimming with confidence and determined to keep the red box in Oxford. Shiplake seemed to have a Sunday berth sewn up after the National Schools’ Regatta, but their grip appears to be slipping—and they might need luck and newfound speed to claim the prize.
Saugatuck and St Edward’s School are my underdogs, and I do not expect an early exit for either—they will be primed to fight tooth and nail and surprise some folks. It has to be said that Newport Aquatic Center arrive with exceptionally good odds—they are my international favourite for the semifinal and I think they are a safe bet to make the final too.
All that’s left to say is: good luck, and may the best crew win!
