Regatta season well and truly begins this weekend, with a blockbuster lineup of races this bank holiday weekend. While BUCS Regatta takes place at Nottingham, Wallingford Regatta this Sunday is the first of the three big regattas to take place at Dorney Lake. After a long and cold head season, this is the first instance for rival clubs to gauge side-by-side speed against each other, with many crews aiming for Henley Royal Regatta in July. The open challenge pairs looks to be an interesting event, with a mix of club and junior crews entered. It will be a straight final between 7 crews, which brings in added uncertainty about conditions and whether one lane is more advantageous than others. This event could prove to be a very close battle.
Oxford Brookes University
A staple of any big rowing event in the UK, Oxford Brookes University are arguably the most successful university programme in the world. Now an open club, not just a university-based progamme, they consistently create crews that compete with the best in UK rowing. They have one pair entered at Wallingford, which could be two of their club rowers as all of the students will be racing at BUCS regatta. Although Brookes have been shrouded in uncertainty this year, they still put together a very respectable set of results at Head of the River, with six 8s in the top 25. This pair may have been in any of those crews, so be sure that they will be a quick combination.
Wallingford RC
This looks like it may be a junior crew entered here from Wallingford RC. Based just south of Oxford, their junior section has attained some very impressive results in recent years. At Schools’ Head 2025 the two J16 8s entered posted great times to finish fourth and third respectively in their events, very much competing with the big schoolboy institutions. They do not seem to have very many pairs results to go off, but clearly have some talented rowers so may be in with a chance of a top result this weekend.
St Paul’s School BC
Not much more can be said about St Paul’s School and its incredible success year after year. Head coach Bobby Thatcher consistently makes crews that dominate schoolboy rowing, and even compete with many experienced senior crews. St Paul’s have a decent entry at Wallingford this weekend, with the squad in preparation for National Schools Regatta at the end of May, before the final run in to Henley Royal Regatta. After a very impressive showing at School’s Head, where they won five events overall, it will be interesting to see if they can translate that speed to side by side racing. Their single pair entry is a mystery: either it is one of their top pairs who achieved great results at the U19 April trials, or it is a spare pair from one of the eights they have also entered. What we do know is that whoever is in this pair, they will row with the strong technique that St Pauls have and will be ready to compete for top places in the final.
Other Crews
Shannon RC from Ireland are making the long trip over from Limerick for this event, so should bring some strong crews with them. With minimal form to go off, it will be interesting to see if their pair can compete with the British-based crews. Upper Thames RC also have one entry, but with a small senior squad, they may struggle against some more powerful opposition. Finally, possibly two junior pairs from St Peter’s School and Tideway Scullers School round out the field. Both clubs have achieved some credible results over the head season, so can they compete when it comes to lane racing?
Prediction
I cannot see anyone but Oxford Brookes University winning this event. In most races, it is unwise to bet against them given the talent that programme has. For second and third, I see a three way battle between Shannon RC, St Paul’s and Wallingford with the crew from Ireland taking second, and St Paul’s third.
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