As the summer season heats up, Dorney Lake is set to host a double-header for women’s club eights at the Metropolitan Regatta: the Old Barnes Cup and medals on Saturday and the Walter Morrison Cup on Sunday. Strategy seems varied between the clubs entered, with some gunning for one cup, and others doubling their chances across the weekend, and this preview covers both. With Wallingford Regatta still relatively fresh in the memory, the following Dorney Lake regatta results serve as a crucial barometer of progression as these club crews shift gear in their Henley Women’s and Royal Regatta preparations. Molesey Boat Club is absent from the line-up, who swept up both club and challenge eights titles at Wallingford, leaving a vacuum on this occasion that many clubs will be hungry to fill.
Thames Rowing Club
The depth and dominance of Thames Rowing Club in women’s eights is no secret. This weekend, they return to Dorney with a fleet of four eights split across Saturday and Sunday, underscoring their intent to remain top dogs in the club circuit and provide two shots at taking home the silverware. The Wargrave Challenge Cup is one of the most significant indicators of the threat Thames brings to this category, with three consecutive wins under their belt. Further, as part of their broader Henley Royal Regatta campaign last summer, Thames overpowered London RC by over ten seconds to win the aspirational club eights at Henley Women’s Regatta.
This spring, they seem to have picked up where they left off, filling second and sixth places at the Women’s Head of the River Race in their ‘A’ and ‘B’ crews and placing six crews inside the top 40. The consistency across so many eights speaks volumes about the club’s chances of dominating any eights category they enter, whether championship or challenge. Racing again this weekend are the likes of Phoebe Campbell, who was part of Thames ‘B’ for the Women’s Head of the River Race, and Phoebe Hayden and Frances Munro, who were part of Thames ‘C’. Their intermediate gold from the Heineken Roeivierkamp in Amsterdam back in March, along with recent training gains from an Ely camp, suggest that these women will arrive as sharp as ever, particularly without Leander obstructing the field. While a Thames crew is entered under the championship category and may therefore represent their first boat, make no mistake: even a Thames ‘E’ boat could seriously flatten another club’s ‘A’ in this category.
London Rowing Club
London Rowing Club remains another potent force in women’s club eights and will be looking to convert potential into podiums. Ava Semeniuk’s crew will represent them on the Saturday, Beatrice Wessel’s crew on the Sunday, and Rachel Ellingham’s crew across both days, with these women being part of the third and fourth eights put out for the Women’s Head of the River Race. While their form has been mixed, their ceiling remains high. London ‘A’ finished 13th at the Women’s Head of the River Race and claimed the senior pennant, after taking second and third in the championship eights at Quintin Head.
More recently, at Wallingford, they placed fourth in club eights and fifth in challenge – solid if not spectacular. Poplar Regatta offered a similar showing, with fourth and fifth in the women’s gold eights event and no silverware to take home. Nonetheless, let’s not forget to look back at their near-miss at Remenham Head earlier in the season, where they were just under a second off Thames, reminding them that when it clicks, London can fly. Lastly, their win in the aspirational club coxless four at Henley Women’s Regatta last year proves their strength across boat classes, even if the eight wasn’t their golden ticket in 2024. Ultimately, there would be no surprises if a London crew were towards the front of the pack on either day this weekend.
Marlow Rowing Club
Marlow RC’s steady climb this season has been quietly impressive. After finishing a respectable 16th at the Women’s Head of the River Race, they seem to have climbed up the ranks to take fifth in club eights at Wallingford Regatta, just a second behind London RC, closing a gap that once seemed much wider over the longer distance on the Tideway. Marlow looks to be playing the long game and appears to be doing it well. Although slightly earlier in the season, their third-place finish at Quintin in women’s senior eights only makes the possibility of standing on another podium more feasible. With one crew racing Saturday (A von Romburgh) and two on Sunday (G Nesom & A Dudley), they can achieve this.
Upper Thames Rowing Club
Arguably more notorious in fours in previous years, Upper Thames RC are increasingly present on the eights scene too. Their silver in club eights at Wallingford for the second consecutive year, plus a win in the women’s club coxless four, demonstrates this spread. At the Women’s Head of the River Race, they finished 17th and 64th, after fielding two eights in The Wargrave Challenge Cup at Henley Royal Regatta last summer alongside Thames RC and London RC – a notable achievement. With Francesca Reeves leading the Saturday crew toward the Old Barnes Cup, expect Marlow to also appear in the medal conversation.
Vesta Rowing Club
Vesta RC may be more unpredictable, capable of significant results, but occasionally slipping into inconsistency. This season’s results show promise: second in the women’s senior eights at Quintin and podium placements in their coxed fours and an eight at Poplar Regatta. Furthermore, looking back to 2022, Vesta reached the Saturday of Henley Royal Regatta in The Wargrave Challenge Cup, so this potential has been simmering for a while now. However, mere potential may not be enough; Wallingford saw neither ‘A’ nor ‘B’ crew make the final, and their Women’s Head of the River Race finishes ranged from 46th to 146th. Regardless, their overseas exploits at the Heineken Roeivierkamp (with two top-12 finishes) and a squad training camp in Banyoles indicate that their ambition should not be underestimated.
Racing crews across both days, the club is represented by women such as Sarah Gilhooley, Justine Stanley, and Ciara Gill-Ryan, who all seemed to be in the same crew for the Women’s Head of the River Race but are now representing completely different eights, making a standout crew difficult to predict. Either way, the potential for an upset is there.
Cantabrigian Rowing Club
Cantabrigian RC are one of the more enigmatic entries this weekend. They have previously claimed the provincial club pennant at the Women’s Head of the River Race multiple times, but this year saw their ‘A’ crew finish 62nd. At Wallingford, they were also edged out in their eights heat, though bronze medals in their coxed and coxless fours showed versatility and promise that cannot be ignored. Notably, last season, they reached the Henley Women’s Regatta semifinals in the aspirational club eight, only to lose to Thames RC. If they rediscover some of that form, they could again cause problems for the slightly more established names.
City of Cambridge Rowing Club
Just missing out on the provincial club pennant at the Women’s Head of the River Race by 0.3 seconds this year, City of Cambridge RC are knocking on the door of serious recognition. Their third-place finish in club eights at Wallingford, just behind Upper Thames, cements them as one to watch, especially at this regatta. They also have valuable side-by-side experience, having fielded crews in both the aspirational quad and development four at Henley Women’s Regatta last season. Therefore, it would be wise to anticipate a well-drilled outfit and possibly a surprise result.
Prediction
The results may look predictable on paper, but the Metropolitan Regatta has a habit of delivering surprises, particularly with Henley Royal Regatta selection on the line. The absence of both Molesey and Leander throws the field wide open, and multiple other entries not discussed here, including the likes of Tyne ARC, City of Oxford RC, and Cambridge ’99 RC, will no doubt turn up with a fight which could infiltrate the pack. Add to that the spice of Irish entrants Neptune RC and Cork BC, and the stage is set for another weekend full of fierce racing with the potential to shift narratives. If pushed for a prediction: Thames RC will take the cup, with Upper Thames RC staking a strong claim for silver, and London RC will round out the podium. However, in a field this deep and varied, nothing is guaranteed.
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