Pairs Head of the River promises to be a fiercely competitive race as the open intermediate pairs tackle the 4.5km course from Chiswick Bridge to Harrods Wall. With conditions on the Tideway often unpredictable, ranging from harsh winds to navigating the tides, crews will need both power and precision to tackle this challenging course. This year, with only one pair returning to this category, the field is wide open, and every pair has a chance to go for gold.
Lea Rowing Club
The crew from Lea Rowing Club consists of Guilherme Aguiar and Ashley Wyatt. This pair are no strangers to working together, having raced in The Thames Challenge Cup at Henley Royal Regatta in both 2024 and 2023 as a stern pair, and in the Head of the River Race in 2023. Aguiar narrowly missed qualifying for The Thames Challenge Cup at Henley Royal Regatta this year, so he will be looking to come into this season even stronger as he returns to racing with Wyatt. Their combination of Henley Royal Regatta experience and previous races on the Tideway makes them a serious threat. However, they will need to ensure that their technical skills can be transferred to a smaller boat for this race.
City of Cambridge Rowing Club
Will Watson and Joe Holey enter with plenty of momentum from last season. Watson is coming off an extremely successful summer season, having rowed over at Headship in the Cambridge Town Bumps and was selected for City’s top men’s eight that narrowly lost to Tideway Scullers’ School in The Thames Challenge Cup at Henley. Holey, from Cambridge University Boat Club’s 2023 Men’s Lightweight Boat, adds tideway experience from the historic clean sweep year. The pair also finished second in the British Rowing Club Championships open club eights this summer, demonstrating both speed and endurance over long distances. Their combination of power and tactical racing makes them the pair to beat.
Kingston Rowing Club
Kingston Rowing Club brings two strong entries, Matthew McWilliam and Thomas Rawlins, and Will Keen-Tomlinson and Alan Cherevicius. Cherevicius brings with him Henley Royal Regatta experience, having qualified for The Thames Challenge Cup this summer; however, his crew was knocked out on the first day. Rawlin’s and Keen-Tomlinson will be eager for racing experience, having narrowly missed out on qualifying for the highly competitive Wyfold Challenge Cup. However, on the Tideway, Kingston has proven success, having come fourth in the open club eight in 2025 at Hammersmith Head, which demonstrates the all-important Tideway experience and showcases their depth and consistency over longer courses. Both pairs have the potential to push into the top positions if they navigate the Tideway conditions effectively.
Auriol Kensington Rowing Club
Auriol Kensington brings multiple competitive pairs. Grayson Townend and Rob Galbenu, Ben Hussey and Tim Howard, and Charlie Hetherington and Todd Sandler. As a club, they had some strong results last season. In eights, the club came second in both Peterborough City Regatta and Reading Amateur Regatta, whilst Townend and Howard finished fifth in the final of the open club pairs at the British Rowing Club Championships. The athletes from Auriol will be racing on their home water and therefore bringing extensive knowledge of the Tideway, as well as support from the club, which comes under Hammersmith Bridge. This will undoubtedly give them the boost they need as they approach the end of the race. These crews will be pushing each other down the whole course, and with three crews racing, Auriol is expected to achieve top results.
University of East Anglia Boat Club
UEA enters two pairs with experience racing together. Raphael Sergent, Ethan Koland and Liam Frew raced together in the open coxed four at the Metropolitan Regatta, where they finished fifth in the time trial and seventh in the final, whilst Rocco Vettesse finished ninth in the open doubles category. As a coxed four, this crew came first at the Star Regatta. These pairs have demonstrated solid performances in team boats and are expected to put in a strong showing if they can translate this success into smaller boats.
Nottingham Rowing Club
Rob Jephcote and Cory Johnson have also had success racing together, finishing third in the open club coxless four at the British Rowing Club Championships. Their combination of power and experience makes them a credible threat, particularly if they can work the Tideway to their advantage.
Cantabrigian Rowing Club
O’Hara and Hewitt are the only returning crew from last year’s Pairs Head, where they finished third in the open intermediate pairs category. They will be looking to better that result this year, and their familiarity with the course could give them a tactical edge, although the field this year is much more unpredictable.
Prediction
With the field wide open this year and only one returning crew, the open intermediate pairs race is set to be tight and unpredictable. However, the combination of recent form, club strength and racing experience gives City of Cambridge’s Will Watson and Joe Holey the edge. Expect them to battle hard down every metre of the Tideway course, with the crews from Cantabrigian Rowing Club and Lea Rowing Club following close behind.
