Holders: St Paul’s School
Entries: 42 (to be reduced to 32 by Qualifying races)
And so we come to it in the end. The great battle of our time.
For a moment, let’s chart a course to slip back into the past. The date is Sunday 7th July and St Paul’s School have just crossed the line in the final of The Princess Elizabeth Challenge Cup. Suspended in this imperfect moment, the trials and tribulations of a long and turbulent season are etched on the faces of each of these nine athletes. The relief, the ecstasy, the lethargy, the wonder. To win at Henley Royal Regatta is perhaps the greatest gift rowing can bestow upon a junior athlete. This Trophy, whose suitors are ceaseless in their machinations to secure victory, is weighed heavy with the names of numerous winners who have gone on to achieve magnificent things in our sport. This is the one everyone wants to win. This is the one that really matters.
Without further figurative flex of my pen, let’s take a wander together through the profiles of those who dare to dream of sun-soaked Sundays atop the community’s highest pedestal.
Shiplake College
Let’s begin with the national champions. In late May, on a Nottingham course plagued by challenging conditions, Shiplake College finally announced themselves as the heavyweight contenders we have known them to be for some time. This was the apogee of coach Hugh Mackworth-Praed and Dave Currie’s programme, the North Star, which they had been pointing their bows towards for nearly a decade.
Stroked by Isaac Dean, who recently raced at the Munich Junior International Regatta, this is a crew full of talent. They return five of the athletes who made the final of The Princess Elizabeth Challenge Cup in 2024, an added source of motivation for a club who have come so close so many times to ascending that final step into immortality. Their season has been, unsurprisingly, successful, with wins in club eights at the Heineken Cup in the Netherlands to complement silver at the Schools’ Head of the River and third in open eights at the Hammersmith Head. Three of this crew (Luca Hunt-Davis, Finlay Rhys-Jones and Henry Day-Clark) raced at the Coupe de la Jeunesse for Great Britain last summer, whilst William Harper was part of the British eight that won the world title at the U19 World Rowing Championships.
On paper, this crew has everything it needs to win The Princess Elizabeth Challenge Cup. The only thing stopping them is their own belief that they can do it. This is not a Disney script, but the focus on what can be achieved is sometimes the unlock between dreams and reality. It’s time for Shiplake to take the last step onwards.
St Paul’s School
The perennial contenders and early-season favourites. Bobby Thatcher has built perhaps the best pound-for-pound junior programme in the country, and their recent dominance of the Trophy (two wins in three years) underlines their evergreen credentials.
Returning five of the crew that won this Trophy in 2024 should mean that the boat is primed and ready for another tilt at glory. During the winter, that is certainly how the watching masses felt. An overall win at the Hammersmith Head came off the back of a retention of their youth eights title at the Head of the Charles and preceded a seven-second win at the Schools’ Head of the River in March. Coxed by Victor Bocquet, who steered this school to glory last summer before going on to win U19 World Rowing Championship silver as part of the women’s eight, all the resources for a second successive title are there for St Paul’s to use.
The summer of 2025, though, has not been easy for this group of athletes. Their bowman, Arthur Hamill, suffered a stroke in the spring, meaning he was unable to compete, and their consistency has struggled as a result. A poor time-trial performance at the National Schools’ Regatta was a diminishing factor they never truly recovered from, finishing third overall after having to re-row their portion of the A-final. They were the quickest junior crews at both the Metropolitan and Marlow Regattas, but only after slightly unsteady time-trials where they were beaten by several of their chief rivals. Henley Royal Regatta dispenses with the need for a time-trial and a crew change at the eleventh hour promises a revitalisation of this richly-talented outfit.
Radley College
When Patrick Duggan, who formerly plied his trade at King’s College Wimbledon, took over the Radley first eight, the assumption was that it would take him a little while to make his mark. Those estimations proved to be inaccurate as, after a slightly shaky start at the Schools’ Head of the River, where Radley’s first eight placed seventh overall, they blew the field wide open by winning silver at the National Schools’ Regatta, unseating not only St Paul’s but a host of other programmes who had beaten them in March.
Radley are well well-renowned for finding significant speed around the curvature of the summer, particularly as eyes turn towards the linear straights of Henley. If they have indeed accelerated into this event, it is quite feasible to imagine that this crew will contest for honours and a first overall victory since 1998. They also won junior eights at Wallingford Regatta, so clearly thrive in the side-by-side format that Henley Royal Regatta encourages. The only black mark against their name was a slightly lacklustre performance at Marlow Regatta, where they won the C-final (admittedly in a time that would have placed them second in the B-final).
Featuring several of the athletes who raced for Great Britain at the GB-France Match last summer, including Hector Scott Plummer, Monty Sutherland and Dylan Hughes, Radley’s progress may also depend somewhat on the draw. They will receive a selection and hope to avoid the programmes above them in this preview until at least the weekend. From there, anything is possible.
St Edward’s School
Fourth – and then fifth following a re-row – at the National Schools’ Regatta and title-winners in 2023, Teddies have built a strong foundation for success across both their men’s and women’s squads. Their consistency has been a strength upon which they have leaned throughout the season; they were fifth at the Schools’ Head of the River and finished up as the second-fastest schoolboy eight at Wallingford Regatta.
Marlow Regatta was perhaps a little disappointing; they finished seventh in the C-final, 13 seconds back on Radley and behind crews including Latymer and Bedford School. Speed will have to come and come quickly. They’re bolstered by the inclusion of top-tier athletes, including Elam Hughes, a junior world champion with Great Britain last summer. Cox, Felix Jamieson, won this event as a 15-year-old and knows what it takes to triumph on the historic Henley course, but he’ll need to summon up more than the spirit of yesteryear to converge on The Princess Elizabeth Challenge Cup once again.
Bedford School
It feels reductive to describe Bedford as the surprise package of the summer, but their consistently excellent showings have earned them a spot high up in my pecking order of profiles. Their most resounding statement of intent came last weekend, when they finished up as the second-ranked junior crew at Marlow Regatta, placing fifth in the B-final.
Pete Mulkerrins leads this programme and seems to find excellent speed with unerring regularity. They placed eighth overall at the Schools’ Head of the River before making the A-final at the National Schools’ Regatta for boys’ championship eights, an achievement that cannot be understated given the calibre of the field and availability of slots. They were the fastest junior crew at both Nottingham City and Bedford Regattas, leaving us in no doubt as to the severity of their credentials.
Hampton School
Another programme pointing resolutely upwards, Hampton are back to what looks something like their best. After a blistering run during the middle of the last decade, including three consecutive Saturday berths in The Princess Elizabeth Challenge Cup, Josh Butler has got this group firing once again.
Like others on this list, they have flirted consistently with serious silverware throughout the season. Fourth at the Schools’ Head of the River – 12 seconds back on the winners – was followed up by fourth at the National Schools’ Regatta, improving from their fifth-place finish in the first staging of the A-final, where they washed down by a launch. With three international vests onboard (including Harry Bernard, who raced at the Coupe de la Jeunesse, and Harry Oliver, who raced to gold in the men’s eight at the U19 World Rowing Championships), this is another example of a junior crew stacked full of pedigree.
Converting that into tangible results on the Henley stretch is a challenge Hampton have invariably struggled with over the years. They have not won this event since 1989 and have not even made a final since 1995, leaving lots of room for improvement. I have a feeling we may yet see the best of the boys in yellow.
Eton College
This Eton unit are the question of the quorum. So much talent exists between the stern and bow of this crew that it seems almost unthinkable that a crew of this quality could fail to medal at the National Schools’ Regatta, let alone not even make the A-final. That is precisely what happened, though, as Eton found themselves on the wrong side of a time trial result. Although they did win the B-final comfortably, the underlying point is why they were even there in the first place.
Let’s establish their on-paper credentials. George Konig, Nikolai Rybin and Henry Clarke all raced at the Coupe de la Jeunesse for Great Britain last summer, whilst four-seat Oliver Richardson and cox Edward Crosthwaite Eyre are junior world champions in the eight. That is quality most programmes can only dream of, yet this crew does not seem to be clicking. After a promising start to the season, where they finished third at the Schools’ Head of the River, there has been a worrying lack of progress since then.
If anyone knows how to turn it on at Henley Royal Regatta, though, it’s Eton College. Coached by Hannah Patel, this crew will have had more than their fair share of academic strain to manage over the past month (not unlike other programmes on this list), but with that now to one side, focus must turn to winning The Princess Elizabeth Challenge Cup for the first time since 2021. Given their slower form this summer, a selection is unlikely, meaning they may find themselves with a tricky draw. They will need to show the mettle and class that I know this group are capable of to navigate to the business end of proceedings.
Latymer Upper School
This is a crew with the wind in their sails. Since finishing ninth at the Schools’ Head of the River on home water, they have slowly climbed the domestic rankings, placing eighth overall at the National Schools’ Regatta (1.8 seconds from an A-final slot in the time trial) before winning junior eights at the Metropolitan Regatta. They were then sixth in the C-final at Marlow Regatta, beating St Edward’s School amongst others.
Raphael Corbett – who sits in the six-seat – has been one of the stand-out performers on the U19 trialling circuit this season, earning himself a place on the Munich Junior International Regatta squad. Coached by Nicholas Barry-Parker, who led the junior men’s coxed four to victory at the 2023 Coupe de la Jeunesse and then guided the British eight (that has already had some traction in this article) to a stunning gold in Canada at the U19 World Rowing Championships, this crew are in capable hands. A Friday placing would be an excellent return on investment.
King’s College School, Wimbledon
After losing Paddy Duggan to Radley, King’s College School have had to reassert themselves on the national stage. Stuart Whitelaw now leads the programme and has been busy trying to imprint a new style and philosophy on this group of boys.
They started the season well, placing third at the Head of the Charles in youth eights before winning Kingston Head and finishing sixth at the Schools’ Head of the River (ahead of crews including Bedford, Latymer and Radley). They were third in junior eights at Wallingford Regatta before winning Poplar Regatta’s junior division. Their National Schools’ Regatta performance was below par, though, finishing third in the B-final and some six seconds adrift of Latymer in second. A ‘G’ final at Marlow Regatta does little to convince me that anything more than a round or two is possible for this group.
St Ignatius’ College, Australia
For those of you who listened to our entries reaction podcast on The End of the Island – or have spent any time engaging with the first series of Rowing Down Under – you will know how highly our Australian colleagues rate this St Ignatius crew. I am reliably informed that this boat are quicker than the Scotch College crew that won this Trophy back in 2017, to the extent that I was subjected to a series of videos on YouTube of this boat at race pace. It took me a little while, but begrudgingly, I conceded – they look very fast.
So, what makes them a challenger in 2025? For a kick-off, they’re unbeaten on home turf, arriving into Henley Royal Regatta as Australian national champions alongside schoolboy titles from the AAGPS Head of the River, New Zealand Christmas Regatta, Shore Regatta, NSW State Championships and the Riverview Gold Cup. That comprises a pretty decent CV and should have more than a few domestic challengers looking nervously over their shoulder.
Now, I would throw in a note of caution. We have heard similarly fearsome tales of overseas entries who rock up at Henley Royal Regatta with the rumour mill at their back, but crash out disappointingly on the Thursday. I am assured that this crew, coached by 27-year-old former lightweight Matthew Curtin, are not of that ilk.
Marin Rowing Association, USA
Back for a second bite at the apple two years after they last featured in The Princess Elizabeth Challenge Cup, Marin Rowing Association will arrive at Henley Royal Regatta with a point to prove. Much has been made about this crew’s horsepower, of whom six raced for Team USA at the 2024 U19 World Rowing Championships. Hugh Ryan, Ori Radwin, Taeden Landa and Bailey Foster were in the eight that won silver, whilst Ryan Jorgensen and Aemon Morlan won bronze in the coxed four. This means this crew arguably have the most decorated boat of any entrant into this year’s Trophy.
Creating a motion of flow with such shiny parts is not always a simple task, though. This crew started the season by placing second in youth eights at the Head of the Charles (losing to St Paul’s School) before going on a winning streak that included the Pacific Invite, San Diego Crew Classic and the Southwest Regional Championships. That ground to a halt at the USRowing Youth National Championships, though, where the crew were forced into bronze by RowAmerica Rye and Deerfield Academy. Word is that half the crew were struck down with a sickness bug, so to what extent we can read into these results is up for debate.
Whatever happened at Nathan Benderson Park is in the past now. Marin will be gearing up for a proper go at The Princess Elizabeth Challenge Cup and will fear no one. They are currently training out of Oxford University before moving to Henley next week. If the Stewards select them, which seems likely, a run to the Friday is certainly on the cards.
Norcal Crew, USA
A B-finalist from the USRowing Youth National Championships, it seems unlikely that Norcal will be able to cause many problems for the established order in the UK. Stranger things have happened, though, and this crew were only three seconds off an A-final berth in their semifinal.
According to coach John Kaitz, the focus is on infusing a disciplined performance ethic through repetition and mental training so that positive outcomes are a byproduct of a focused and passionate process. Their winter season felt fast, placing seventh at the Head of the Charles before taking wins at the Head of the American, Head of the Port and Newport Regatta. They were second behind Marin at the San Diego Crew Classic and will not have made this trip unless they can win a round or two.
Green Lake Crew, USA
Loyal supporters of the Regatta, boating crews into The Thames Challenge Cup long before The Princess Elizabeth Challenge Cup opened up to clubs, Green Lake love an annual trip to England.
Whether this crew will be competitive is subject to fairly severe scrutiny. Compared to the other two US-based crews on the entry list, they were 20th at the Head of the Charles in youth men’s eights. They finished fourth at the Northwest Youth Regional Championships in May and won the youth eights’ division at the Husky Open. Based in Seattle, Washington, it’s a long trip over to the Henley reach for these young men and one I am sure they do not take lightly.
Prediction
This one is genuinely tricky. For the first time in what feels like a long time, there is no outright favourite heading into the year’s biggest week. Shiplake College probably deserve the moniker more than most by virtue of their stunning win at the National Schools’ Regatta. St Paul’s School are not to be discounted, but have limited time to find rhythm after so much disruption in the past few weeks. The other UK contenders do not strike me as having the potential to win, but I expect promising showings from Hampton, Radley and Latymer.
Casting our eyes further afield, I am drawn to both the St Ignatius’ College and Marin Rowing Association crews. Both have enough at their disposal to be real obstacles for even the fastest that the UK has to offer. Whether we will see our first overseas winner of The Princess Elizabeth Challenge Cup since 2017 is another matter – I am not sure either will have quite enough to win the Trophy, but I can see them both making the weekend with kind draws that avoid Shiplake and St Paul’s.
I will put my money where my mouth is and plump for Shiplake. We have not seen them race since the end of May, which leads me to think they are busy applying the finishing touches to an eight that is ready to compete at the very highest level. I think we will see a rematch of last year’s final, with one minor amendment – Shiplake to win The Princess Elizabeth Challenge Cup for the first time in their history.
