It is always impressive when a club can field not just one, but two competitive eights at Schools’ Head of the River. Entering a second eight demonstrates significant squad depth, reflecting programmes with enough talented athletes to sustain multiple racing crews at one of the most notorious head races of the year. Schools’ Head offers a challenging 6.8 km stretch along the Tideway, demanding endurance, steering precision, and composure. The women’s second eight category promises a fascinating contest between several renowned school programmes. Direct results for second boats are limited – many races combine all junior eights in one category – but that uncertainty arguably makes the event even more exciting, leaving room for unexpected showdowns on the day.
Shiplake College Boat Club
Shiplake College Boat Club enters Schools’ Head with one of the strongest reputations in junior rowing, and early-season results suggest impressive depth across their squad. Looking first at the Wycliffe Big Head results in the women’s J18 category, Shiplake finished second overall under the name F. Dallas. While the athlete listed for the Schools’ Head second eight is O. Rootkin-Gray, meaning the exact crew combination is unlikely to be identical, the result remains highly significant. The Wycliffe entry may well have been the first eight or a mixed lineup of athletes across boats. However, the key takeaway is clear: Shiplake as a programme is performing at a very high level. Importantly, the Shiplake boat finishing second at Wycliffe was over a minute ahead of third place, suggesting an extraordinary margin of dominance within the field. Even if that crew does not directly correspond to the second eight racing Schools’ Head, such results imply a deep and powerful squad, from which a competitive second eight is very likely to emerge. More direct insight comes from Hammersmith Head, run over approximately 4.5 km on the Tideway earlier this season. Shiplake College, under I. Turnham won the women’s junior eights category overall, with Headington and Lady Eleanor Holles following behind – results that likely reflect first eights given the speed of the entries.
Further down the order, another Shiplake crew appears under the name I. Fawcett. While the surname differs from the Schools’ Head draw – which lists O. Rootkin-Gray – this may simply reflect seat changes or lineup adjustments across the squad. Hammersmith Head does not separate first and second eights into distinct categories, meaning all junior eights appear together in the results. However, Shiplake’s second appearance in the results list sits highest among what appears to be the other clubs’ second entries, suggesting that their second eight performed strongest within that group. Combined with the fact that Shiplake’s first boat topped the overall standings by 19 seconds, it points to impressive depth within the programme and a second eight that looks well placed heading into Schools’ Head. Taken together, these performances reinforce Shiplake’s reputation as a formidable programme, making them strong favourites heading into the second eight race at Schools’ Head.
Surbiton High School Boat Club
Surbiton High School Boat Club looks set to be one of the closest challengers to Shiplake. The squad has already gained valuable Tideway experience this season through internal fixtures against Godolphin & Latymer, raced on the same stretch of river used for Schools’ Head. Such match racing provides crucial practice in navigating the conditions of the Tideway – an advantage that could prove decisive over a long course. At Hammersmith Head, Surbiton’s junior eight – listed under J. Scobie – appears prominently within the field and, in my projected ordering of second boats from those results, sits second overall. The recurrence of the same athlete’s name in both the Hammersmith results and the Schools’ Head draw further suggests that the crew racing on Friday may closely resemble that earlier lineup.
When considered alongside Shiplake’s comparable entry at Hammersmith, the margin between the two stands at roughly 22 seconds over the 4.5 km course; a notable gap, certainly, though one that may yet prove recoverable across the longer 6.8 km stretch of the Tideway, where sustained rhythm through the middle stages of the race often proves decisive. Given their Tideway preparation and relatively consistent lineup, Surbiton could well push Shiplake hard for the top spot.
Godolphin & Latymer School Boat Club
Godolphin & Latymer School Boat Club also appears firmly in contention. The Hammersmith Head results list a Godolphin crew under A. Harvey, which again differs from the H. Adams entry listed for Schools’ Head. As with other clubs, this creates some uncertainty regarding the exact crew composition. Nevertheless, interpreting the results in the same way as with Shiplake and Surbiton suggests that Godolphin’s second boat placed roughly third amongst the second eight crews. The margin separating Godolphin and Surbiton at Hammersmith was approximately eight seconds, a narrow gap given the length of the course. Considering the training fixtures between Surbiton and Godolphin earlier this season, the two programmes clearly have close competitive connections and opportunities to test speed against each other. Such tight margins and shared racing experience set up what could be one of the closest battles of the race.
Headington School Oxford Boat Club
Headington School Oxford Boat Club needs little introduction within junior rowing. The programme has long been associated with high-performance first eights, and many of its athletes progress to elite university programmes in the United States. Indeed, several members of the current squad are reportedly heading to American colleges, demonstrating the depth of talent within the programme – though it remains unclear whether those athletes will appear in the first or second eight for Schools’ Head. Headington also completed a winter training camp in Spain in December 2025, which will undoubtedly have provided extensive preparation for the head racing season.
However, the Hammersmith Head results, which are particularly useful due to their recency, show that only one Headington crew raced, with the named A crew scratching before the race began. The named B boat continued to race, placing an almighty second behind Shiplake A, but the question of whether it remained the second eight or was infiltrated with first boat substitutes questions the legitimacy of this result. Headington’s reputation remains formidable, but with the rise of strong second eight opposition, they will need to fight hard to maintain this on race day.
St Paul’s Girls’ School Boat Club
St Paul’s Girls’ School Boat Club brings a particularly interesting racing profile into SHORR. Last autumn, the programme travelled to the United States to race at the Head of the Charles Regatta in Boston, one of the largest and most competitive head races in the world. Competing in such an event provides invaluable experience: racing in large international fields, managing long head courses, and adapting to new competition.
Looking again at Hammersmith Head, the St Paul’s crew listed under S. Kang, the same name that appears in the Schools’ Head draw, sits fourth among the Schools’ Head crews when analysing the results in second-boat terms. Crucially, the gap between St Paul’s and Godolphin was just seven seconds. Such a small margin over 4.5 km suggests St Paul’s is very much within striking distance of the medal positions. With the longer Schools’ Head course and the additional experience gained racing internationally, this could be a crew capable of pushing further up the rankings.
Predictions
- Shiplake College Boat Club
- Surbiton High School Boat Club
- Godolphin & Latymer School Boat Club
(with Headington School Oxford and St Paul’s Girls’ School Boat Club very close behind)
