Tyne Single Scullers Head marks the commencement of the 2025/26 season in the North East of England and is the first of a long series of head races on the River Tyne. The course spans 3000 metres along the winding river and will see crews race upstream from Blaydon to Newburn.
With 258 crews entered and four divisions of racing, Saturday is bound to be a busy day of rowing and spectating, as well as bake sales and a kit sale offering vintage NUBC stash. Though this is largely a regional event, the Tyne Single Scullers Head attracts some of the country’s top rowers looking to rehearse ahead of the Scullers Head taking place in only a few weeks’ time. However, all is to play for on the Tyne, where the tide, stream, and debris all play a part in keeping athletes on their toes.
Division One
Saturday will start with the Senior Open and Masters Women’s categories. Quinn Mosley from Durham ARC, at only 17 years old, is already a decorated single sculler and has earned his number one starting position. Last season’s highlights for Mosley included winning both the J16 and J18 1x titles at the British Junior Championships, as well as defeating France in the annual GB v France fixture.
Another name to watch out for is Ed Gardiner, representing City of Cambridge RC. Having previously rowed at Durham University, Gardiner’s experience of the Tyne assisted him to victory in this category by over 17 seconds last year. Gardiner was one of the few hopefuls to successfully qualify for the Diamond Challenge Sculls at Henley Royal Regatta this summer, where he raced Olympic champion Olli Zeidler. If Gardiner can carry this momentum forward, he could certainly put himself in pole position for the top spot this weekend.
Band two scullers, who could also contend for the top spot, include Gwilym Johnson of Newcastle University BC. Johnson won gold for Wales in the coxless fours at the Home International Rowing Regatta and placed second in the open singles last year, despite being in band three. Adam Azzi is another athlete familiar with the Tyne, and featured in Tyne ARC’s first eight that made it to the quarter-finals of the Thames Challenge Cup at Henley Royal Regatta.
Division Two
The second installment of racing will showcase the Senior Women and Masters’ Open single sculls. Leading the charge is Isabel Cain, representing Hexham Rowing Club. In 2024, Cain won silver at the National Schools Regatta in the WJ16 quad, and took gold at the British Junior Championships in 2023.
A challenger from slightly further afield is Issy Maxwell from Vesta Rowing Club. Maxwell’s recent qualification for the Princess Royal Challenge Cup at Henley Royal Regatta highlights her as one of the country’s top single scullers, and the Tyne Single Scullers Head is sure to act as a suitable dress rehearsal for the upcoming Vesta Scullers Head in two weeks’ time, where she will be able to exploit her home field advantage.
Division Three
The third division of racing offers the opportunity for junior athletes to race in single sculls, many of whom will be doing so for the first time. 94 athletes, ranging from ages 14 to 18, will be taking to the water, looking to add to their racing experience and compete for prizes too. Though the field is largely made up of local clubs, including Durham School BC, Hexham, and Tyne ARC, the event has attracted both George Watson’s College and George Heriot’s School, who will be looking to make their journey across the Scottish border worthwhile. A programme still in its infancy, Dame Allan’s School BC has an impressive ten crews competing on Saturday, hoping to kick off their third full season on a high.
Division Four
Three o’clock will see 80 pairs and doubles from all age categories, open and women’s, make their way up the Tyne. In the men’s doubles, NUBC men’s captain, Ted Ridley, who won gold at the FISU Championships in the men’s eight, joins Gwilym Johnson, who will have already raced in the single earlier on. The duo will have to take on two crews from Sunderland Rowing Club, as well as their own teammates, Dan Coupe and James Beaumont.
Both the open and women’s pairs categories are dominated by Newcastle University Boat Club, who host the event. Leading the charge in the open category will be Lucas Bowes, who was part of GB’s gold medal-winning eight at the FISU Championships, racing with Bert Papworth, who won bronze at the Junior Sculling Regatta 2023. They will be challenged by three more Newcastle crews, as well as a pair from Tyne ARC, whose athletes will be just as familiar with the challenges of the River Tyne.
Megan Johnston, as the NUBC women’s captain, Junior World silver medalist, and double finalist at Henley Royal Regatta, is perhaps the most decorated athlete racing this Saturday. Having won bronze at BUCS Regatta in the Intermediate Pairs, Johnston is no stranger to small boat racing and will be teaming up with Mary O’Donnell, who has won silver and gold medals in the Intermediate quads at BUCS Regatta and reached the final of Henley Women’s Regatta only a few months ago. The category will also be contested by Tyne ARC, featuring Jen Peacock, a stalwart of their first eight and NUBC alumna. Her highlights include winning the Provincial Pennant at WEHoRR and making the semi-finals of the Wargrave Challenge Cup at Henley Royal Regatta in 2023. With a further three Newcastle pairs also vying for the title, all is to play for as athletes look to challenge last year’s rankings and start their season on a high.
