After three long years off the calendar, Wallingford Head finally returns this weekend, bringing crews back to the iconic 4000m stretch from Brunel Bridge to Wallingford Bridge. Last held in 2021, the event has been sorely missed – both for its competitive depth and its reputation as one of the early-season indicators of winter speed. With forecasts promising cold, bright conditions and light winds, crews will be hoping the Thames serves up fast water and clean racing. As clubs from across the country descend on Wallingford, this year’s edition looks set to deliver a long-awaited revival of one of the standout fixtures of the head-race season.
Headington School Oxford Boat Club
Opening the race on Sunday are the ever-formidable athletes of Headington School Oxford Boat Club. With a total of 36 athletes competing, this is a squad overflowing with both experience and emerging talent. Expectations will be high heading into this race after a spectacular turnout at Junior Fours Head, in which they took the junior women’s sweeping by storm, victorious in both the Junior 18 coxed and coxless fours, supported by two finishes in the top ten of coxless quads. Their momentum doesn’t stop there – Headington also sent seven scullers to Boston Head, securing four top ten J17/18 singles results (including a strong fifth from Elayna Yap). Coupled with last seasons standout accomplishment of winning the Prince Philip Challenge Trophy at Henley Royal Regatta, not enough can be said about the consistent achievements of the Headington girls, and it will be fascinating to see how far this squad progresses this year.
Surbiton High School Boat Club
Adding to the depth of the field are the polished and increasingly assertive athletes of Surbiton High School Boat Club. Fielding three crews in this event, Surbiton signify both breadth and quality within their programme. After some impressive results at both Teddington Head and Kingston Small Boats Head (where they secured wins in the coxed and coxless fours), I am sure that they will be hot on Headington’s heels. Their scullers have also made their mark at the Caversham Supplementary Event, with Amelia Rowbotham achieving third and Katie Shaw placing 24th in the U19 singles. With performances like these, Surbiton are steadily building a reputation as one of the sharpest rising squads on the junior women’s circuit, and they will be well placed to challenge the established front runners this weekend.
Shiplake College Boat Club
After ending last season in style, Shiplake College Boat Club enter this weekend riding a wave of momentum. Their performances across the early autumn indicate a programme continuing to grow in confidence and depth. At Kingston Small Boats Head, Shiplake showcased strong small-boat skills, while at Teddington Head they underlined their speed in the bigger boats, with fourth and sixth in the women’s eights. Junior Fours Head brought further validation of their trajectory, managing fourth and eighth in the coxless fours, and a bronze medal finish in the coxed fours. With eight athletes testing themselves at Boston Head earlier in the season, securing two podium results, they arrive in Wallingford with two crews who should expect to be firmly in the medal conversation. After narrowly missing out to Headington in the final of the Prince Philip Challenge Trophy at Henley Royal Regatta last summer, they will no doubt be hungry to assert themselves against their nearest rivals.
Sir William Perkins School Rowing Club
Few would argue against Sir William Perkins School Rowing Club being a force within junior women’s rowing this season, and despite entering just one crew, the quality within the boat speaks for itself. SWPS demonstrated their technical proficiency at Junior Fours Head with a strong fifth in the coxless quads, before returning the next day at Fours Head, where they finished just shy of the top ten in the coxless fours – a demanding back-to-back showing. With a focused squad and a proven ability to deliver in high-pressure environments, Perkins will be aiming to convert their early-season consistency into a punchy performance over the 4km course. Expect them to be right in the mix as the times come in.
Predictions
With such a dense field of proven talent, Wallingford Head looks poised to deliver an early-season shake-up in the junior women’s eights. On form, Headington stand out as the clear favourites to take the win, their depth and recent results giving them the edge over the rest of the pack. Shiplake, with their growing momentum and strong autumn performances, appear best placed to mount the most serious challenge and should not be far behind. Beyond that, the margins tighten considerably—Surbiton, Perkins, and the remaining contenders each have enough speed to disrupt the order, but much will depend on how they handle the long 4km test and the conditions on the day. What is certain, though, is that this long-awaited return to Wallingford will set an exciting tone for the months ahead.
