Wallingford Regatta, a stalwart of early regatta season competition, takes place this weekend at the fantastic championship course at Dorney Lake. Whilst BUCS is well underway in Nottingham, Wallingford attracts Britain’s finest club competition. From the Thames to the Tyne, Wallingford draws some of the Isles’ finest competitors to battle it out for glory across Dorney’s incredible 2km course. The Open Challenge Coxed Fours feature some of our nation’s most amazing clubs and performance programs, so this year’s hotly contested race will be a spectacle to behold this weekend.
Marlow Rowing Club
One of the UK’s finest institutions of rowing, Marlow RC, enters this Wallingford Regatta keen to make their mark and set themselves up as ones to beat for the remainder of the season. The senior men’s squad at Marlow has been lucky enough to be under the coaching of Head Coach Jamie Axon. Under his leadership, Marlow has jumped from strength to strength. Having had a strong finish at Head of the River Race, as well as continued success throughout the rest of their winter campaign, this outer-London Thames Club will bring the heat to the Dorney Lake this weekend and want to continue their momentum into regatta season. Combing their strong finish last year and sustained growth as both a club and no doubt as athletes, Marlow should be ones to watch in this race.
Thames Rowing Club
As one of the Thames’, and Britain’s, best rowing clubs, Thames RC consistently deliver on the local, regional and national stage. The squads at Thames have had the honour of being coached by Sander Smulders for the last few seasons, who has helped lead the team to multiple, back-to-back wins at Henley Royal Regatta and has helped coach team GB at a European level. Smulders is also helped by the great Jack Stoddart, who is the men’s coach at Thames, helping Thames achieve incredible Head of the River finishes in the last few years, including winning the Vernon Trophy in 2025. This squad are certainly ones to beat this year, and as they’ll be coming into Wallingford as frequent winners, and even in many events as reigning champions, they will want to keep the good times rolling, and considering who they are, they just might.
Oxford Brookes University Boat Club
Opting to enter the prestigious Wallingford regatta over trying their hand at BUCS, OBUBC will be travelling to Eton Dorney with the hopes that they can put their best foot forward this weekend and deliver yet another performance becoming of one of Britain’s best university squads. Expert and valued Head Coach Henry Bailhache-Webb has steered OBUBC toward multiple successes in his over 15 years at the club. Under his leadership, athletes at the club have had a string of top-tier successes at Henley Royal Regatta, Head of the River Race and everything in-between. Having not raced in this event, or ones similar, very much last year it is difficult to accurately predict how they will do, but just knowing their program, their talent, their grit and sheer determination, OBUBC will be at the forefront of this competition.
London Rowing Club
Once again going head-to-head with their Thames rivals, London RC will want to establish themselves at the top of regatta season early on, and this Wallingford endeavour will be the place to do so. Under the careful tutelage of Stuart Heap, LRC has continued to establish itself as one of our nation’s premier rowing institutions. Just barely missing out on the Vernon Trophy at Head of the River Race to their Thames RC rivals, the boys from London RC will be out for revenge and will be keen to defeat their rivals. At last year’s Wallingford Regatta, their crews consistently came out on top, prevailing over some of Britain’s finest – including their same competition this year. With that in mind, the boys from the Thames will want to keep their reign going and replicate that performance this weekend.
Oxford University Boat Club
Arguably one of the UK’s most famous rowing clubs, OUBC will want to dismiss any ideas and concepts that their program and athletes are not up to scratch following yet another Boat Race loss. Under Head Coach Mark Fangen-Hall, the men’s squad at OUBC have been trying to reform their program to take on the highest level of rowing. Despite their recent loss, OUBC continue to be one of Britain’s strongest and most consistent rowing clubs. With this coming weekend being their first major appearance since they took on the championship Thames Course in their head-to-head, the boys from Oxford will be coming out of the gates strong and keen to show what they’re truly made of over the 2km straight.
Predictions
What an incredible group of entries. This race will expose some of the greatest rowers, rowing and athletes in our sport in the UK, and with such a high density of worthy winners its difficult to predict. But when the umpire at the Dorney Tower sets these crews off, and they see the green light, I predict that Thames RC will be the first to cross that finish line, closely followed by an incredible duel for second between London RC and Oxford Brookes University BC. What a race this is sure to be. I encourage you all to keep an eye on this as it has the potential to be one of the races of the year. I wish the very best of luck to all crews racing, win, lose, or draw this will be a race to remember.
About The Author
Discover more from JRN
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
