The junior women are never ones to shy away from a fight, with nearly 50 crews swarming to Henley in what is, for many, the biggest race of their season. With the Nina Padwick Trophy called off this year, this event has boomed with entries of ambitious Junior 16 crews looking to establish themselves as a threat as they enter Junior 18 next year. As the size of the competition has increased, so has the quality – while most years one crew looks to be just out in front in the run up to Henley Royal, this season seems to be anyone’s game.
Wycliffe College Boat Club
The scullers of Wycliffe have been locked in fierce battle all season to uphold their reputation as the fastest programme in the country – a fight they could be winning. Raising the bar again and again throughout the season, this quad only comes back harder from any threat to their throne. They expertly swapped their silver medal at National Schools’ Regatta for gold ahead of Tideway Scullers at the Metropolitan Regatta, though they fell short to Maidenhead the following day. With sights set on a third win in this event in as many years, it surely will not take much for Wycliffe to reinstate themselves as the crew to beat.
Tideway Scullers School
Tideway Scullers are a force to be reckoned with in the pressure cooker of the Henley stretch, combining raw speed with unshakeable technique in a way no other club seems to match. In a refreshed lineup bolstered by two world silver medallists in the stern pair, this boat looks prepped for a run to the final – a possibility backed up by Tideway’s strong tradition in the Bea Langridge trophy. Semifinalists last year and finalists the year before, as Tideway aim to complete the triple at Henley Royal Regatta, this turn along the track is shaping up to be one of their best yet.
Marlow Rowing Club
Seeded deceptively low in the order, Marlow found a new gear at the National Schools’ Regatta to win the time trial by six seconds and round out the podium with bronze in the final. Henley Women’s was a key stepping stone in last year’s campaign to the final of The Diamond Jubilee Challenge Cup, and coach Pete Chambers will aim to use this weekend once again to maximise the quad’s speed. There were glimmers of something special brewing in their time trial at National Schools’ Regatta, and I expect to see similar this weekend, all in preparation to unleash a devastating series of races at Henley Royal Regatta.
Maidenhead Rowing Club
A quieter Sunday at the Metropolitan Regatta could not stop Maidenhead from putting out a result to remember, defeating the relentless Wycliffe College and every boat in their category to win the quads event outright. It seems this crew has found their groove and are stepping on race after race to mount one of Maidenhead’s most successful seasons in recent memory. Following a narrow fourth place at National Schools’ Regatta and their recent dominance at the Metropolitan Regatta, a push into the semis or finals this weekend could be on the cards for the Maidenhead crew.
Henley Rowing Club
Hampered by the unforgiving conditions in Nottingham, a fifth place finish at National Schools’ Regatta may have left a supposedly podium-bound Henley smarting. There’s no better opportunity to regain their edge than this regatta on their home stretch, where they have trained between the booms for weeks longer than their competition. The advantage of confident steering on the Henley course cannot be overstated, particularly in a field with such fine margins separating the fastest crews. This practice could be just what Henley needs to reaffirm their medal prospects.
Sir William Perkins’s School BC
Since returning to the quad for National Schools’ Regatta, Sir William Perkins’s School have quickly stepped up to the same form that earned them a spot in the semifinals of Henley Women’s Regatta 2024. At the Metropolitan Regatta, they sat four seconds clear of Headington to claim bronze in a stacked field, building strong momentum to hopefully send them into Sunday’s racing this weekend. A harsh draw at Henley Royal last year saw a weekend-standard SWPS crew knocked down at Tuesday’s first hurdle, so this boat has some scores to settle in Henley one year on.
Canberra Girls’ Grammar School, Australia
A stellar season down under has made Canberra Girls’ Grammar a heavily favoured crew on their home turf and a fearsome contender this weekend. As both state and national champions in the schoolgirl coxed quad, the pedigree of this crew rivals many of their Northern Hemisphere counterparts. At the Australian National Championships, this crew proved their speed in the coxless quad, placing fourth in the U19 category among stiff university-level competition alongside their national title in the coxed equivalent. Even under the pressure of one-on-one racing with unfamiliar rivals, this crew will surely thrive and cause some upsets to established British crews.
Mercantile RC, Australia
Mercantile’s scullers have been working hard on and off the water to fundraise for their debut Henley campaign and make it one to remember. This weekend is not only the penultimate step in their journey to racing The Diamond Jubilee Challenge Cup at Henley Royal, but also their first taste of racing on the iconic stretch. Seven seconds behind Canberra’s coxless quad at the Australian National Championship, Mercantile will be one to watch as they push their way past the deep competition.
Newport Aquatic Centre, USA
Followers of The Prince Phillip Challenge Trophy may remember last year’s classy Newport outfit, which raced to the Saturday of Henley Royal Regatta last year. A smaller contingent is returning for a second go at things, swapping one blade for two. They have had a formidable season in their beloved eight, winning youth eights at the San Diego Crew Classic and the Southwest Regionals. Even in their less established quad, the standard of last year’s crew leaves little doubt they will also make a worthwhile journey in a rapid boat.
Other entries
Fourth seed Marlow B comprises their Junior 16 quad, undefeated on their age-group circuit this season. I’m sure this boat will be feeling particularly feisty in the run up to this weekend, their first major race since May’s Wallingford Regatta and the cancellation of their event at the National Schools’ Regatta.
Another ‘B’ boat to fear is that of Headington School Oxford, who placed fourth in the quad at the Metropolitan Regatta and took a convincing victory in the B-final at the National Schools’ Regatta.
Though they were some 16 seconds behind Headington at Metropolitan Regatta, Shiplake will have made a big step on from then as their coxed four, who won silver at National Schools’ Regatta, adapt to the coxless quad.
Predictions
Depending on how the draw swings, Wycliffe and Tideway could go head to head once again in a race too close to call – it would not surprise me at all to see these two fighting it out in the final. It will be a real treat to see what Canberra can bring to the table, and how much Maidenhead and Marlow have stepped on in the past few weeks. I am excited for them to prove me wrong and overhaul the margin to Tideway and Wycliffe.
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