As it does every year, the rowing season has flown by and it is time for racing in Henley-on-Thames to commence. The Colgan Foundation Cup for Aspirational Academic eights remains one of the most fiercely contested trophies at Henley Women’s Regatta. Offering an opportunity for the larger clubs’ second eights, alongside the first eights of smaller programmes, a final shot at victory before the competition heats up at Henley Royal Regatta, this weekend will be a season highlight for many crews.
The Aspirational Academic eights time trial kicks off the regatta at 10 am sharp on Friday. 23 crews will race over the 1500 metres, with only the fastest 16 progressing to side-by-side racing on Saturday. Sunday, we will see the quarterfinals, semifinals, and finals all being raced within six hours. This means that recovery between races will be more crucial than ever, and could be the difference between going home with a purple box or leaving empty-handed.
University of London BC
The University of London’s second eight will be leading the charge on Friday morning, kicking off the entire regatta. Silver medal winners in the intermediate eights at BUCS Regatta, UL know what it takes to compete with the best. At Metropolitan Regatta, UL took first place in the academic eights, 1.21 seconds ahead of Durham University. Last year, the University of London made it to the semifinals of the Colgan Foundation Cup, conceding to eventual winners Oxford Brookes. The University of London were the last non-Brookes crew to win this trophy. Will 2025 be the year we see their name on the trophy again?
Newcastle University BC
BUCS Regatta was a mixed bag of results for Newcastle’s second eight. After winning the time trial of the intermediate eights, they finished fifth overall in the final, losing out on a medal by just over one second after crossing the 1000m mark first. With Henley Women’s Regatta offering a shorter 1500m course, the Blue Star crew will look to play to their strengths and execute another fast start. At Metropolitan Regatta, testing out different combinations daily, Newcastle’s second eight placed second in the C-final on Saturday, and sixth in the B-final on Sunday. Under the tutelage and expertise of Anna van de Braak, who was part of Newcastle’s last crew to win the Aspirational Academic eights at Henley Women’s Regatta in 2019, Newcastle could undoubtedly be one to watch out for this weekend.
Oxford Brookes University BC
Oxford Brookes are the reigning champions of this event from 2024; however, due to the eligibility rules for Aspirational events, no crew members can return to defend their title. This means that continuing the winning streak established in 2022 falls on the shoulders of a new set of rowers. Brookes have put forward their top Aspirational eligible rowers – including four members of their BUCS Regatta intermediate eight winning crew, two from their third eight who placed fourth, and one from their first eight that won bronze in the championship eights. A similar crew raced at Metropolitan Regatta, and on the Sunday’s racing won the Academic Eights – in the final beating the time of the next Academic crew by over 15 seconds. There is no doubt that the pressure is on for this crew to retain the title and uphold their club’s reputation in what has been a challenging season, but will they be able to rise to the challenge?
Cornell University (USA)
The sole American entry, Cornell University will be looking to make their journey worthwhile. With Henley Royal Regatta fast approaching, Henley Women’s provides an excellent opportunity for overseas crews to spend time on the Thames and utilise the experience as a springboard into the famous event. Cornell placed fourth in the heats at the Ivy League Rowing Championships, 30 seconds behind victors Yale University. Later, in the petite final (the equivalent of a B-final), Cornell finished second behind Columbia. With a completely fresh field of competitors, it will be interesting to see how Cornell measures up against their British and Dutch counterparts.
A.S.R. Nereus (NLD)
Another crew making the journey from overseas is A.S.R. Nereus. In 2024, at Henley Women’s Regatta, Nereus placed eighth overall in the time trial but lost out in the heat to Boston University Rowing Club (USA). At Henley Royal Regatta, it was a similar story when Newcastle defeated Nereus in their first round. Returning for redemption, A.S.R. Nereus will be determined to make their trip worthwhile.
Prediction
The top contenders for the final look to be the University of London, Newcastle University, and Oxford Brookes University. With the top eight time trial crews seeded, a fast time is vital for progressing through Sunday’s gruelling schedule. However, Cornell and A.S.R. Nereus remain wildcards who could surprise us this weekend.
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