The National Schools’ Regatta is one of the most significant events for these junior competitors, so the competition will be fierce. Last year’s winners, Hinksey Sculling School, not fielding an eight, truly opens up the field and will guarantee us a new name etched into the Aylings Challenge Cup.
Headington School Oxford Boat Club
After winning the Schools’ Head of the River Race in March, Headington have been notably absent from the regatta season so far. With many of their first eight racing at Munich, including Sophie Haisman, who stroked the GB eight at the U19 World Rowing Championships last year, Headington will be looking to place a marker down. Without their top crew at Wallingford, Headington won the women’s Junior 18 coxed four, including Eleanor Duxbury, who raced at the Coupe De La Jeunesse last year. With their squad’s breadth of international experience, Headington are a prominent and leading contender to reclaim a title they last won in 2023.
St Edward’s School Boat Club
After winning Wallingford Regatta in the junior women’s eight, St Edward’s (Teddies) are also key contenders for the victory. They finished second in the A-final last year after shocking the field to win the time-trial (narrowly beating Headington in a sprint to the line) so it will be interesting to see what the margins will be this year. Teddies also have international talent in their crew via Isabel Johnson, who sits in the stroke seat and raced Coupe De La Jeunesse for the GB U19 squad last year. They finished third behind both Headington and Shiplake at the Schools’ Head of the River of the River Race, but the margin to Shiplake was a paltry 0.2 seconds, which is more than recoverable over the course of an Easter training block. Teddies are on an upwards trajectory and looking to peak at the right time; I believe they will be best equipped to battle Headington for the win.
Shiplake College Boat Club
Over the past few years, Shiplake’s junior women’s eight has stepped on massively, evidenced by their surprising fifth-place at the National Schools’ Regatta last year and then a Friday appearance in The Prince Philip Challenge Trophy at Henley Royal Regatta. There is no doubt that Dan Safdari and his athletes will want to improve upon this. After coming second at the Schools’ Head of the River, Shiplake are looking like they are building upon this throughout the season. After coming third at Wallingford Regatta, despite missing Amelia Westbrook due to international duties at Munich Regatta, Shiplake should not be ruled out. I predict it will be a close tussle for the podium places, with Shiplake needing to bring their A-game for the win.
Wallingford Rowing Club
Wallingford Rowing Club have a group of athletes who have grown massively over the past few years. Their women’s Junior 16 coxed four won Henley Women’s Regatta in 2023, and these girls will be racing in the crew at National Schools’ Regatta. With a promising fourth-place finish at the Schools’ Head of the River, Wallingford must have been somewhat disappointed with fifth at Wallingford Regatta, finishing six seconds off Lady Eleanor Holles Boat Club. While I think Wallingford will be in the fight, they need to ensure they place all their cards on the table early if they want to intimidate and demonstrate their ability.
Lady Eleanor Holles Boat Club
Lady Eleanor Holles (LEH) are improving at a rapid pace; they have gone from the B-final at the National Schools’ Regatta last year to arriving at Nottingham next weekend in a position to fight for the podium. Under the new stewardship of former British lightweight Jamie Kirkwood, this crew will be ones to watch as we progress through to the season’s final races. They were fourth at Wallingford Regatta and only half a second behind Shiplake. If LEH time their moves to perfection, I believe they have a chance of medalling.
Godolphin and Latymer School Boat Club
Godolphin and Latymer School Boat Club should not be overlooked. With Lara Bone racing at the Munich Junior International Regatta earlier in May, she will be looking to translate her experience into helping this crew get back in the National Schools’ Regatta contest. This is a young crew, so next season will be very exciting regardless of the results this year.
Tideway Scullers School
What Rhona MacCallum and her coaching team are doing with the junior women’s squad at the Tideway Scullers School is nothing short of remarkable. For a club with such limited resources, the fact that they’re punching so hard and so frequently at the business end of junior rowing is seriously impressive. Their junior women’s eight is unlikely to challenge for the medals, despite winning the Women’s Head of the River junior pennant back in March; their top athletes are now focusing on the quad. This crew still contains a strong selection of promising young rowers, though.
Prediction
Overall, I think the final this year will be much like last year’s, with the field being even closer than before. I predict the top three will be Headington, Teddies, and Shiplake, with Headington taking the win. There is a body of evidence to suggest that Ryan Demaine’s charges usually get faster as the season goes on (they won bronze at this event last year before going on to win both Henley Women’s and Royal Regattas) and they’ve already shown their 2025 speed in the winter by dominating the Schools’ Head of the River. The order behind them is a little unclear, but I think Shiplake will finish second with Teddies in third.
