Australia National Team, Australia, Men’s Coxless Four
Two World Rowing Cup titles is a pretty good way to start a new Olympaid, which is exactly what the new-look Australian four of Nikolas Pender, Fergus Hamilton, Austin Reinehr and Alex Hill have done. So impressive are this foursome that when rumours broke out that they were joining the Australian eight for a tilt at The Grand Challenge Cup, odds immediately swung in their favour. The manner in which they beat first the hot home favourites from Great Britian before seeing off a high-speed Dutch unit puts them, but particularly this group of four, on a good trajectory heading into the World Rowing Championships.
Harvard University, USA, Men’s Lightweight Eight
I had the pleasure of watching this crew on their ‘home’ turf in the USA when they won their second successive IRA National Championship title in the lightweight eight. To go under 5:30 as a lightweight crew – even in conditions that I would conservatively describe as ‘fast’ – is an astonishing achievement to back up the gold they took. Harvard then travelled to England to take on some of the best student eights in the world, most of whom were not in the lightweight class. Their win in The Temple Challenge Cup was sensational and rounded off a season that seems to be dynasty-defining.
St Ignatius’ College, Australia, Men’s Schoolboy Eight
Despite a slightly flat performance from this boat at Henley Royal Regatta, where they exited The Princess Elizabeth Challenge Cup on the Wednesday, there is no doubting that this St Ignatius crew were one of the quickest schoolboy eights to ever come out of Australia. A lot of hype was made about them pre-Henley Royal Regatta after they comfortably won the Australian National Championships, but the perils of trying to peak three months after your nationals were on show once again.
Rutgers University, USA, Women’s Eight
Eighth at the NCAA Women’s Rowing Championships does not usually warrant a slot on the JRN awards list, but the way in which Rutgers came over to the UK and obliterated a field full of talented eights in The Island Challenge Cup was simply stunning. The Stewards’ did not even give the Scarlett Knights a selection, so they fought their way to the final on a more rugged route than most of their peers. No one got within a length of them throughout the week, and Justin Price’s women certainly sent a clear message that US collegiate women’s rowing is not to be trifled with.
Jack Rafferty, Ireland
Barnstorming is the only way to describe the season that Jack Rafferty, of St. Michael’s Rowing Club in Limerick City, had during 2025. Determined to put the second-place finish in the junior single at the National Championships in 2024 behind him, he trained and raced this season with a determination that would be the envy of much more senior athletes. Before the end of the domestic season, Rafferty collected some international silverware with a bronze medal in the double at the U19 European Rowing Championships, partnered by Kenmare’s Jonah Kirby. At the National Championships, Rafferty was imperious in the junior sculling events, winning the single, the double and the quad, a feat only completed by two others in the past decade and a half. The best was yet to come for this young oarsman, who competed in the double at the U19 World Rowing Championships. His crew were dominant in the heat, semifinal and final. The prize was Ireland’s first ever U19 World Rowing Championship gold medal.
