Poplar Regatta 2025 – Men’s Junior 18 Eights Preview

Poplar Regatta – a 2000m race on a course in the heart of London, with a background of planes taking flight from London City Airport. This Sunday, nine Junior 18 eights will take to the water in likely scorching heat, excited to test their speed in one of the final opportunities to race against their competitors before the National Schools’ Regatta. Despite several notable schools not attending, we should be in for some compelling racing as we move onwards towards Henley Royal Regatta.

St Paul’s School Boat Club

After a dominant performance at Wallingford Regatta only a couple of weeks ago, taking a fourth-place finish in the Challenge Eights category, falling just short to two rapid Thames Rowing Club crews, as well as a London Rowing Club eight, St Paul’s School Boat Club will be looking to secure the win at Poplar Regatta this weekend. Moving from their impressive performance throughout the head racing season, taking a notable win at the Schools’ Head of the River Race, St Paul’s went on to their training camp in Portugal this year, eager to build up their speed and side-by-side racing skills in preparation for the regatta season ahead. Additionally, with no shortage of GB representatives in the crew, with Alp Karadogan and Christian Reese having raced in the coxless four at the U19 World Rowing Championships last summer, St Paul’s showcases a level of depth and experience that will ensure that they prove tough to beat this weekend.

King’s College School Boat Club

Another crew looking to make waves this weekend at Poplar Regatta will undoubtedly be King’s College School Boat Club. After a sixth-place finish at the Schools’ Head of the River Race, this group travelled to Spain for a productive training camp, eager to build up an intense racing speed, and solidify themselves as a boat club looking to plant themselves firmly on the medals podium this regatta season, which they demonstrated by finishing third at Wallingford Regatta two weeks ago. With strong performances at GB trials this spring from several athletes, notably Ivo Monaghan and Alastair Heathcote, both of whom were invited to the highly selective Spring Assessment Camp back in March, with the former also having raced for GB at the Coupe de la Jeunesse in the coxless four last summer, King’s College will be looking to show St Paul’s this weekend that their position as favourites coming into the summer is by no means safe.

Westminster School Boat Club

While Westminster School Boat Club may be expected to fly under the radar at Poplar Regatta, given a slightly underwhelming head season performance, in a smaller group of first eights than typical at a regatta, the boys in pink could be looking to cause an upset this weekend. After a solid yet unremarkable head season, notably finishing 11^th at Quintin Head back in January, and tenth at the Schools’ Head of the River Race only a couple of months ago, Westminster’s squad this year is boosted by the international racing know-how of Kuzey Mazi, and Jack Frye, both of whom raced against France in the J16 GB France regatta last summer.

Dulwich College Boat Club

The last first eight entry in the Junior 18 category for racing this weekend, Dulwich College Boat Club will be going into the racing as underdogs, looking to chip away at the reputations of some of the bigger names in schoolboy rowing in any way they can. Under the professional coaching of Tristan Mayglothling, the head of rowing at Dulwich College, and a former international rower who has co-authored multiple books about rowing, Dulwich is by no means at a disadvantage regarding coaching experience and expertise. However, many would see Dulwich’s failure to make the final two weeks ago at Wallingford Regatta as an indicator that they may not have the raw skill required to cement themselves at the top level of racing this regatta season.

Prediction

Looking at the results from not only this year’s racing, but also years in past, St Paul’s School seem like a solid bet to take the win this weekend, given the depth and experience present in the squad, although I wouldn’t count out King’s College School to give them a run for their money. Meanwhile, the battle for the bronze medal will be between Dulwich College and Westminster School, with, in my opinion, Westminster looking like the stronger crew, likely to take the final medal position on the podium this weekend. It is also important to note that multiple second eights are also entered in the Junior 18 category alongside the first Eights, with my prediction that the King’s College School second eight will prove to be the fastest second boat this weekend, with the valuable racing experience of Rafael Aram, who placed 16th at the GB pairs trials regatta last month.