Rutherford Head is one of the largest time trial races in the North of England, and a staple in the calendars of many clubs in the area. Although stacked with talent aplenty, the Band 1 Eights category is largely dominated by crews from certain university boat clubs, over half of whom do their training on this choppy 4.5km course, making it all to play for in what is shaping up to be a nail-biter of a race.
Newcastle University Boat Club
Newcastle’s first major race of the season takes place on home water, and they enter two crews in this top-seed category. Edward Ridley and Lucas Bowes sit in the club’s premier outfit, following a successful summer in which they won gold for GB in the FISU World University Games. Stroke man Ridley finished an impressive second in the coxless pair alongside Gwilym Johnson at the first GB trials of the season earlier this month. Jackson Amies is a Henley winner from his time at school, and the pedigree in this boat will be a force to be reckoned with on Saturday. Newcastle have several crews competing in other categories, including an all-star alumni Eight full of international talent from yesteryear. The club will hold its annual club dinner following the conclusion of racing, and the weekend is likely to be a special occasion on and off the water.
Durham University Boat Club
Training just next door on the River Tyne is Durham University, who have three eights in this category. Josh Coulter will stroke the second eight down the course, after recently finishing seventh in the coxless pair at November’s GB Trials with George Buckingham, who was the fastest U21 in this category. Durham have had a long preseason and will be eager to start racing again, following a summer that once again proved they are among the strongest university programs in the country. The club’s first men’s eight made it through their Wednesday heat in the Temple Challenge Cup at Henley Royal Regatta, only to narrowly lose out to Cambridge University in a classic cat-and-mouse contest fought all the way to the finish line. Durham’s alumni have a history of going on to conquer the rowing world after graduation, and a crew from The 1877 Club will lead out this category on Saturday. Expect to see many impressive and some questionable moustaches on the river this weekend, as this race falls at the end of the club’s commendable “Movember” campaign.
Edinburgh University Boat Club
An impressive range of crews make the trip down from Edinburgh University to compete this weekend, including the second Eight in this category. Stroke seat Freddy Foxwell has been in and around the national team since he was a junior, most recently finishing 13th at the November GB trials amid good performances from four others representing the club. Edinburgh can be proud of maintaining one of the best university learn-to-row programmes in the country, while also producing impressive results on the elite side of the sport. The pick of Edinburgh’s many entries at Henley Royal Regatta this summer was their coxed four, who made it through to the final of the Prince Albert Challenge Cup, losing to the University of London by less than a boat length.
Agecroft Rowing Club
A real powerhouse of the club rowing scene in the North West, Agecroft Rowing Club will be arriving in Newburn this weekend with a point to prove. Having comfortably won both the band one and two eights at their own head race, Agecroft will be well into their groove by this point in the season and have had plenty to build on from the summer. With crews having raced in both the Britannia and Wyfold Challenge Cups at Henley Royal Regatta – including the Britannia crew racing in the quarter finals – this squad will no doubt have the strength and depth required to challenge the likes of the university clubs around them in the start order, and I hope to see them in the mix with the likes of the second eights from Durham and Newcastle.
Prediction
The universities described in this preview were separated by just six seconds in last year’s race. Edinburgh is defending the title, but the sheer number of crews entered by all three clubs and the range of talent present in this category suggest that this will be another closely fought race. Newcastle University start fourth in the order, and their coxswain will have the competition firmly in their sights. I predict Newcastle will celebrate a memorable victory on Saturday evening.
