2026 is underway, and races will soon come thick and fast. Quintin Head is the first big head race of the year, and crews will look to blow away the January blues, showing how their training over the Christmas period has fared. Quintin is always a significant opportunity to show form and an early indication of how crews are shaping up against their competitors. In the championship women’s category, 13 crews are entered, all of whom will have high hopes and expectations.
University of London
UL has three crews entered this weekend. As winners of Quintin Head in 2025, their first eight will want to defend their title this weekend. So far this season, they have had a strong showing at Fours Head, placing first in the academic coxless four and third in the championship coxed four. With bigger races on the horizon, UL will look to put down a confident performance this weekend on home water.
Oxford University Boat Club
With their first fixture against London Rowing Club on Saturday, OUBC will be out in force on the Tideway this weekend to stake their claim to Quintin Head on Sunday – possibly their last opportunity to get an undisrupted head race piece under their belt on the Championship Course. The premier outfit in dark blue has already shown promise of a potential “tide-turning” moment, but will not want to get ahead of themselves. Their last outing on this stretch was Trial Eights, and their training camp since then has seen the top crew gradually refined. This weekend’s race will mark an important opportunity to give the current line-up a run-out, targeting a strong performance that earns them the victory. Before Christmas at Wallingford Head, they beat second-place Brookes by 22 seconds; a similar margin over their Wallingford neighbours this weekend would be a huge statement.
Thames Rowing Club
Thames look to have put their disrupted start to the season behind them. Defending their Remenham Challenge title ensured they ended 2025 on a high, and they start 2026 with two crews looking to put down strong performances this weekend. Given the pride they have in their eights programme and their knowledge of their home course, they will want to beat the University programmes they have few opportunities to go head-to-head with this weekend, as well as to ensure another one-up on local rivals.
London Rowing Club
London placed second at Quintin Head last year, beaten only by Tideway compatriots UL. This season, their women’s programme has gone from strength to strength, and they will hope this pays dividends this weekend. At Fours Head, they came home with the club coxless fours trophy for the first time. Transferring to a bigger boat, the club hopes for similar success.
Marlow Rowing Club
Another club continuing to grow its women’s programme is Marlow. Several recruits have boosted their eight, and they will be looking to build momentum heading into more critical races later in the season. Marlow improved on their fourth place at Upper Thames Autumn Head with third at Wallingford and will want this upward trajectory to continue at Quintin – an all-important opportunity to test themselves against some of their bigger Thames Valley counterparts.
Oxford Brookes University
It’s no secret that Oxford Brookes has gone through a significant revamp in recent months. Under their new coach, Bodo Schulenburg, they have yet to venture far with their races, choosing only to enter Wallingford Head on their own stretch, where they placed second to Oxford University. With more time and training under their belts, this weekend will be an essential opportunity to show how the new era of Brookes women are performing.
City of Cambridge Rowing Club
City of Cambridge continues to punch above their weight when it comes to domestic women’s rowing. Few clubs outside of the Thames Valley venture to races such as Quintin, so it is heartening to see this club doing so. At Fours Head, they won the Davison Award for standout performances by a small club and followed this with a win in the Band 2 Eights at Wallingford Head. These women are not to be underestimated and should be watched closely this coming season.
Prediction
2026 could be a special year for Oxford University’s women, and Quintin Head might mark the start of it. Expect a dominant display this weekend as they look to build momentum heading into the next few months. Second and third place could be more interesting with UL, Thames, London and Brookes all likely to be in contention. Expect some tight margins, but Thames and Brookes to get the upper hand.
