Rutherford Head, hosted by Tyne Amateur Rowing Club, offers junior crews a vital early-season test of speed, as schools and clubs seek to establish themselves across the various junior open events. From quads to eights, this 4500m race provides one of the first real indicators of winter progress before the spring racing calendar intensifies. This year’s open junior categories have attracted a varied field, with Abingdon School Boat Club and Queen Elizabeth High School once again heavily represented, alongside Yarm School Boat Club, Leeds Rowing Club, George Watson’s College, and a range of other ambitious challengers from across the UK.
Abingdon School Boat Club
In the eights category, one of the clubs coming up is Abingdon School Boat Club, which has entered three eights into Rutherford, with their first eight competing in the open category. Their top coxless four placed second in their category at the Junior Fours Head, suggesting that they possess some strong speed in their first eight, which they plan to showcase this weekend. After placing tenth at National Schools’ Regatta earlier this year, Abingdon will be looking to push further into the junior rowing leader board, and showing some early speed at Rutherford is one of their first steps in doing so. They have also entered a coxless four, two quads, and two coxed fours, with their Junior 16 quad also placing second at Junior Fours Head. These four boys will want to put a marker down at Rutherford. Their top coxed four, which came 13th at the Junior Fours Head, should aim to show greater speed here against a different set of competitors.
Yarm School Boat Club
Yarm School have entered four quads into Rutherford, three J18 and one J16. Their top quad came second in the open category at Tees Small Boats Head, and then won Durham Autumn Small Boats Head overall by 20 seconds, with their second quad placing second. Their J16 quad also won their event at Durham SBH, showing that, across the board, Yarm will be planning to set a powerful marker down at Rutherford and appear as strong contenders to dominate the quad category.
George Watson’s College Rowing Club
George Watson’s College also look like a strong contender in the quad category, entering a quad in both the J18 and J16 categories. Winning Tees Small Boats Head by nearly a minute in their top quad, they are probably the primary challenger to Yarm. However, not racing at Durham Small Boats Head means that by now, Yarm may have closed, or even surpassed the gap.
Queen Elizabeth High School
Queen Elizabeth High School have also fielded entries across various junior categories at Rutherford, entering three quads, a coxed four and an eight. Their top quad placed third in the junior category at Tees Small Boats Head and eighth in the junior category at Durham Autumn Small Boats Head, competing against many of the quads that will be racing at Rutherford. Their coxed four also won junior band 2 for coxed fours at Tees SBH, so their athletes will definitely be aiming to be in and amongst it on Saturday.
Leeds Rowing Club
Leeds Rowing Club have entered three junior quads and a junior eight to Rutherford. Their top quad will be looking to build speed after placing 26th at Junior Fours Head, while their J16 quad will seek to put a strong marker out there at Rutherford, after placing fourth at Junior Fours Head.
Prediction
J18 8+ → Abingdon School Boat Club (Bond-Smith)
J18 4x → Yarm School Boat Club (Lane)
J18 4+ → Abingdon School Boat Club (Clancy)
J18 4- → Abingdon School Boat Club (Waggett)
