This Saturday, the River Tyne will host one of the North’s most anticipated rowing events – Rutherford Head. Renowned for its competitive field and strong attendance, the race has once again demonstrated its popularity, with entries closing just 35 minutes after registration opened. A total of 280 crews are set to compete across two divisions. This year’s 4.5km course is a slight departure from previous, with both the start and finish lines moved downstream. Nonetheless, the course remains technically demanding, with shallows, mudflats, tight bends, multiple bridges and shifting currents. Coupled with the often harsh late-November conditions, the event will test the resilience, skill and determination of all who take to the water. Let’s take a look at those stepping up to the challenge in the women’s coxed fours.
Band One
There are four entries in this event – one each from Edinburgh University and Durham University Boat Clubs and two entries from Newcastle University Boat Club. With all three universities recognised as GB High Performance Academies, this promises to be a masterclass in rowing excellence.
Last year, Edinburgh University Boat Club (EUBC) won band one and claimed the title of fastest women’s coxed four of the day. With athletes earning GB vests, winning at Henley Women’s Regatta and regularly representing Team Scotland at Home International Rowing Regatta since last year’s win, they are certainly strong contenders to retain the title. In the summer, Edinburgh qualified a record three women’s eights for the Island Challenge Cup at Henley Royal Regatta. More recently, EUBC were out in force at Inverness Head fielding a volume of entries that showcased their depth, and wins including championship coxed fours, coxless fours, and quadruple sculls, which highlighted their strength. EUBC return this year at the head of the pack, undoubtedly determined to defend their title of fastest women’s coxed four.
Chasing Edinburgh down are the familiar blue and white of Newcastle University Boat Club (NUBC), who field two crews in this premier band. Earlier this year, NUBC outperformed both Edinburgh and Durham University at the Women’s Head of the River Race, where their first eight finished tenth overall and ranked as the second-fastest university crew behind University of London Boat Club. Their B and C crews also impressed with top thirty finishes, whilst and their D crew placed 90th. At Henley Women’s Regatta, NUBC entered four eights – one in the championship eights and, in a history-making moment, three in the aspirational academic eights event. The Blue Star’s first eight reached the quarter final of championship eights, while their A crew advanced to the final of the Colgan Foundation Cup, as well as winning the Parkside Trophy for Championship Lightweight Pairs. Continuing their strong season NUBC, qualified two eights for the Island Challenge Cup at Henley Royal Regatta, with the first eight reaching the final for the second consecutive year.
The more experienced of Newcastle’s two coxed fours at Rutherford contain athletes that reached the quarter final of the Colgan Foundation Cup including Peaches Hale, standing them in good stead to translate speed from the eight into a coxed four. The second of the NUBC crews also features a quarter finalist from Henley Women’s Regatta – Abi Grisewood – no stranger to winning at Rutherford Head having clinched a win in the band two eights last year. Racing on home water, both crews will undoubtedly be looking to make the most of this advantage.
Nestled in a Blue Star sandwich and going off third in band one, are Durham University Boat Club (DUBC) – known for their depth and consistency under the guidance of head coach and Olympian, Will Fletcher. In the summer, DUBC faced NUBC in a northern university showdown at Henley Women’s Regatta, where the Blue Star won by one and a quarter lengths in the semi-final of the aspiration academic eights. At Henley Royal Regatta, Durham again reached the semi-final of the Island Challenge Cup, knocked out by American crew, Rutgers University (who, incidentally, were the eventual winners, overturning Newcastle University in the final). Their band one coxed four includes Lucy Pitt, a successful GB Junior who won gold twice in the junior women’s eight at the Coupe de la Jeunesse 2025, and looking to make her mark through her first race in palatinate.
Prediction
The Scottish powerhouse that is Edinburgh University Boat Club will be determined to retain the title of fastest coxed four. However, the Blue Star are a dominant force in women’s rowing and their results from women’s head of the river demonstrate how well they can race on a tidal river. Then there’s also consistent, high performing DUBC in the mix. Racing in this category is going to be excitingly close, but ultimately I’m tipping Blue Star to be triumphant on the Tyne – Newcastle University Boat Club are my favourites to win band one.
Band Two
Leading out the seven crews in the band two category are Glasgow University Boat Club (GUBC), featuring Sarah Brennan who raced in championship coxless fours at Inverness Head. Fresh from winning band one double sculls at Inverness Head, Katie Broome leads GUBC’s second outfit. Katie also featured in Glasgow’s first eight that finished 49th at Women’s Head of the River Race.
The University of St Andrews Boat Club‘s Director of Rowing, Lewis McCue, was recently named as Scottish Rowing’s performance coach of the year and Saints are also accredited as a GB coastal sculling academy. Their band two crew is led by Grace Davison, who won band one coxed fours at Inverness Head at the start of the month, beating a Glasgow University crew (that included Sarah Brennan) by 21 seconds, which, given the St Andrews crew are setting off directly behind Glasgow could make for some exciting racing at Rutherford.
Setting off directly after the Saints are Edinburgh University Boat Club who won this event last year. They field an unnamed crew, simply titled “B”, this is their seventh crew of seven entered in division two.
Also hailing from Edinburgh and training on the Union Canal, St Andrew Boat Club (SABC) had a successful start to the year winning the medium club pennant at Women’s Head of the River Race. In the summer at Henley Women’s Regatta, they reached the semi-finals of aspirational club eights (Copas Cup) and championship pairs, as well as the final of PR3 single sculls. Only a few weeks later they made history becoming the first Scottish crew to qualify for the Wargrave Challenge Cup at Henley Royal Regatta. They have two crews racing at Rutherford Head lead by Isobel Hope and by Eve Probart. Eve raced in SABC’s aspirational club eight that reached the semi-final at Henley Women’s Regatta. Both women recently raced several times over the course of the weekend at Inverness Head demonstrating good endurance which should serve them well at Rutherford.
Also racing in band two is Salford based Agecroft Rowing Club (ARC). Their crew includes Ella Harris who was in second eight for Women’s Head of the River Race. At Henley Women’s Regatta ARC qualified a crew into the development coxed fours event and reached the semi-final for aspirational club coxless fours. Agecroft’s women’s squad haven’t raced at Rutherford Head for a few years so it will be interesting to see how they fare.
Prediction
I think the winner of band two will be between Edinburgh University Boat Club, University of St Andrews Boat Club and Glasgow University Boat Club. Given their current strength and depth, it could be that Edinburgh’s Baby Blue Army will come out on top.
Band Three
There are seven entries in this category including last year’s winners, University of St Andrews Boat Club. The aforementioned GB performance academy have two crews racing in band three the first of which includes Alexa Vinton who finished fifth in band one coxed fours at the recent Inverness Head. Their other crew contains Anna Gibson who also raced at Inverness, finishing fourth in band two coxless pairs.
Last year’s runners up, Leeds University Boat Club, return with a crew featuring a medallist from the British Championships 2025 – Ilka Ramsden (silver, women’s beginner doubles). After narrowly missing out on victory to the University of St Andrews by less than three seconds last year, Leeds will be eager to turn the tables this time around.
Four Durham college crews are entered, racing for both the band three win and the pennant awarded to fastest Durham College boat. The University College Boat Club‘s crew includes their novice captain Matilda Davis. The self-proclaimed ‘small yet mighty’ St Chad’s College have one crew racing with Gabriella Musgrave who raced in novice coxed fours at Durham Regatta, among their line-up. The Grey College Boat Club is led by their women’s captain, Evie Baldwin. Evie features regularly in their crews and rowed in the seven seat of their first eight for this year’s Women’s Head of the River Race. Van Mildert Boat Club, current holders of the Durham College Club Pennant for coxed fours, return with high hopes of defending their title. Leading from within the boat this year is their club president Selena Bridge who will be willing her crew to deliver another winning performance.
Prediction
The University of St Andrews Boat Club are on an upwards trajectory. They are a recognised GB performance academy and their recent racing at Inverness Head was promising. They look well placed to win band three once again. However, Leeds University will be pushing hard to seize the top spot this time around.
