Wallingford’s winding four-kilometre course is a challenge for coxswains and rowers alike. Following persistent winter flooding on the River Thames, this event has not been held since 2022, and organisers will be hoping that the weather holds this week. Several entrants in the open eights category call this stretch of water home, and some notable visitors from nearby join them.
Oxford Brookes University Boat Club
The famous “Cow Shed” sits approximately halfway up the Wallingford course. The Brookes boathouse has become home to one of the best rowing programmes in the country in recent years, and it will send out a whopping eight crews in this category on Sunday. Brookes was represented by 20 athletes at GBRT trials earlier this month, and the club produced some impressive performances at Fours Head. Brookes will look to begin their season in earnest this weekend and lay down some strong performances on their home turf.
Marlow Rowing Club
Training just a few locks further downstream, Marlow enters two eights in this category. Stroke man James Doleman was part of the club’s first-ever title at Henley Royal Regatta last year, and his eight will look to fend off the three Brookes boats which follow his crew in the draw on Sunday. Several Marlow crews raced admirably at Henley Royal Regatta this year, and the club is establishing itself as a force to be reckoned with in British rowing.
Oxford University Boat Club
Oxford University will soon be selecting their crews for Trial Eights, the club’s internal dry-run of The Boat Race. The Wallingford course finishes just outside Oxford’s boathouse, where their student athletes spend chilly mornings training hard. It will be difficult to draw many conclusions about how the dark blues compare to Cambridge this early in the season, especially since Oxford’s arch rivals do not enter this event. The club’s second-place finish in Fours Head behind only Leander is an early sign of their strength this season. Oxford’s four Eights’ times this weekend will indicate whether this strength is matched by depth in the larger boat class.
Bath University Boat Club
One of just a few clubs in this category that do not train on the River Thames, Bath University sends three eights to Wallingford this weekend. The club aims to conclude a successful year, having prequalified for The Temple Challenge Cup, won 11 medals at BUCS Regatta, and sent several athletes to the recent GB Trials. The long course will not worry Bath, whose preparation for this race includes a 24-hour charity ergathon.
Oriel College Boat Club (Oxford)
Unlike most of the entries from Oxford’s collegiate system, Oriel College trains their first boats at Wallingford, which hosts a longer stretch and fewer novices than the busy River Isis. Oriel will use this regatta to prepare for The Fairbairn Cup in Cambridge next week, at which they may well be favourites. At home in Oxford, Oriel sits in second place in both the Winter and Summer Bumps charts. They have held the men’s headship more often than any other Oxford college, and their ultimate goal this year will be to win it back.
Prediction
There can be little doubt that this category will be dominated by Oxford’s two universities, given their historically successful programmes and detailed knowledge of the river. Oxford Brookes are likely to register the fastest time, but Oxford University Boat Club should beat some of their crews and finish highly too.
