We’re Across The Line! Join us to look back on a thrilling weekend of racing in the UK.

400 crews racing on the River Great Ouse

Bedford RC welcomed the world as they had a day to remember on their home water. The host club of Bedford Spring Head won a perfect 10 events on the day, and had the two fastest crews across the six divisions. On their way to those top two positions, Bedford RC won both the Open Quadruple Sculls and the Band 1 Open Coxed Fours.

The Spring Head is one of three events that the clubs host, along with the Fours and Eights Head in February, and their Autumn Fours and Small Boats Head in October. Along with the other clubs and schools that share the same stretch of the river, they play a vital part in organising the Bedford Amateur Regatta in May.

Over the course that is roughly 2000m long, Leicester RC fielded the fastest women’s crew as their Band 1 Quadruple Scull beat a pair of crews from Globe RC and a further entry from Peterborough City RC.

Across the day, the juniors shone, and Bedford continued to show their strength. The club, whose home is nestled next to Bedford Town Bridge, also won the Women’s J18 quadruple Scull and the Double Scull to go with it. Star Club, a couple of hundred metres upstream, won the Open J17 Quad event. While Stratford upon Avon BC won the Women’s J18 Single Scull, City of Oxford would win the Open equivalent. That wasn’t the end of the day’s success for ‘Leblanc’ as he went his own way and won the Double Scull in an all-Oxford composite with Falcon RC.

Some of the highlights of the day’s racing came in the Open Coxless Fours, as Warwick BC and a Bedford RC/St Neots RC shared the honours with both crews clocking the same time, with Lincoln Rowing Centre placing third, just one second ahead of Peterborough City RC. Elsewhere, Star Club put three crews into the top three of the Women’s Band 2 Quads, with just three seconds separating them.

Maidenhead RC claim headship at Abingdon Head

Maidenhead RC floated the fastest crew of the day at this year’s edition of Abingdon Head. Their Open Masters G Quadruple Scull beat the Open Quad from Wallingford RC by 14s, following the handicap adjustment. The club from SL6 put two crews in the top four as their Masters E Quad was less than 0.8s behind Worcester RC’s Masters F quartet.

Over 110 crews raced over three divisions on the River Thames, finishing at the end of the straight that the club and Abingdon School call home.

One of the standout performances came in the Women’s F Masters Double Scull. The composite crew of Marlow RC and Upper Thames RC were untouchable as they finished seventh overall and the fastest women’s crew of the day.

Credit: AllMarkOne

Abingdon Head was packed full of Mixed crews across the boat classes and throughout the age categories. Windemere RC had one crew racing, but they made it count as their Mixed Masters F Double Scull was the best of the doubles and the quickest mixed crew of the day. Just over two seconds back on them was Guildford RC who’s Mixed Masters D Quad was the best of the quartets. Thames Scullers won the Mixed J16 Double Scull.

GB Rowing Team Final Trials winners crowned and 2025 performances recognised

The men’s and women’s final Senior and U23 GB Rowing Team squad trials took place this weekend at the National Training Centre, Caversham, joined by the PR1 Men’s Para rowing athletes. With racing in pairs and double sculls, across time trials, semi finals and into finals, it was an action-packed weekend of exciting racing.

George Bourne and Douwe de Graaf took the win in the Men’s Pair A final ahead of Jake Wincomb and Harry Geffen, with Miles Beeson and Archie Drummond in third. Eleanor Brinkhoff and Megan Slabbert crossed the finish line first in the Women’s pair A final, second went to Sarah Marshall and Heidi Long with Holly Youd and Katherine George in third. Tobias Schrƍder and Cedol Dafydd were victorious in the Men’s double sculls final with James Cartwright and Jamie Gare in second and Ed Fuller and Matt Long in third. The Women’s double sculls final was won by Olympic Champions Lauren Henry and Imogen Grant, with Lola Anderson and Becky Wilde in second and Rebekah Court and Ellie Dash in third.

For the first time, GB’s Para Men’s PR1 single scullers also took part in April trials. Paralympic, World and European Champion Benjamin Pritchard took the win ahead of Scotland’s Jake Woods.

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Other Events

Thames Upriver: Reigning region splits into three ahead of this year’s Junior Inter Regional Regatta

As the countdown to the Junior Inter-Regional Regatta begins, we take a look back at Victor Ludorum winners Thames Upriver and learn about the region moving into three separate racing regions.

Thames Upriver collect the Victores Ludorum Trophy at the Junior Inter Regional Regatta 2023. Credit: AllMarkOne

The move, tripling the racing opportunities for clubs in the Thames Upriver region, brings the total number of racing teams to 16.

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Social Spotlight: Go on, get the drone out

Check out the bird’s eye view of GB Rowing Team Trials

 

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That’s all from Across The Line this week!

Got any stories for us? Email fergus.mainland@britishrowing.org

The post Across The Line: 400 crews race in Bedford and Maidenhead claim the headship in Abingdon appeared first on 91ÌÒÉ«.

As the flag drops on race day, Heidi Long will look to lead the women of Oxford University BC to a first Boat Race victory since 2016. As President this season, the Olympic bronze medallist will also set up the rhythm for her crew from the stroke seat. Under her leadership, building on the foundations that Women’s Chief Coach Allan French and previous Presidents have laid, the whole squad seems galvanised and full of gumption in a way the world hasn’t seen for some time. It’s not just the intent and aggression the crews are showing on the water, but the spirit and camaraderie that’s being displayed off the water. It’s infectious.

Both on and off the water, there’s been a steep learning curve as Heidi returns to the labs and libraries for the first time since graduating from the University of Virginia in 2019.

“I learned a lot last year, and I feel like this year, from an academic perspective, I’ve been able to embrace all of the opportunities that come out and enjoy it a lot more, rather than racing to get up to pace,” explained Heidi fresh after her fixture win against Leander.

“I’ve enjoyed being in the lab and working with my supervisor and other lab members. Once you’ve been working on a research project for a year and a half, all of the pieces that you’ve been reading and learning, all of the experiments you’ve been doing, all start to come together, and you get a really clear objective towards your aim that you set two years ago when I started to put this together.

“That’s been really exciting over the past two months, and hopefully we’ll get publications out at the end of it. It’s quite similar to rowing; you put in lots of little pieces, but right at the start, you don’t quite know what’s going to happen. Each time you complete an experiment or a race, you learn more, and you start to see this image appearing at the end of it.”

 

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The balancing act of academics and training by Boat Race athletes is well documented, but amplified further when also keeping yourself primed for national team duties.

“I haven’t always got it right. There have been times I’ve been staying up way too late to get a deadline, and then I’ll wake up not feeling great for training. But, that’s ok, we learn, we get better, and being a part of a team enables you to push through those really hard days.”

After completing the first year of her Master’s, Heidi won a bronze medal with the Women’s Eight at the World Championships in Shanghai. The transition from training at Oxford to Caversham was eased by the support network of coaches, as well as her ability to juggle all the pieces of the puzzle that make up her daily schedule.

“I’ve been able to stay in contact through the trials, and I’ve been supported in building training programmes that work for what I need. I train as much as I can, but try to balance it out. We cycle a lot in Oxford, and that’s something I didn’t do when I was training full-time. My lab is up a hill, so you cycle up the hill sometimes twice a day, depending on training and that builds up quite a training load. It’s about having those conversations to see where training needs to push on and pull back to keep performing.

“When I was at training camp with the GB Rowing Team, I was able to get ahead on a lot of my writing projects. When I came back in our break after the World Champs, I could be in the lab full time because I’d done a lot of the write-up work so it’s about looking ahead to what the year is going to be and fitting it around geographic locations as well as times of high and low stress to make sure all the work gets done in a cohesive manner.”

Support is a key theme at OUBC. Not just from the coaches, but something that is distilled across the squads as everyone pulls together.

Credit: AllMarkOne

“I just love it all. The team is phenomenal, really phenomenal,” said the Olympic bronze medallist.

“My teammates are going to be my closest friends, and they make all of the little things; on the minibuses, training camp, racing, on the water, being in the library together, supporting each other getting work done, the team is so much fun.

“It is an absolute privilege to be President of OUBC. I have found it really hard, but I’ve loved it. Some of the things I love the most are being able to build those relationships with everyone across the team. Not only do I want the boat I’m in to go fast, but I want everyone doing the same. Be it the Reserves, the wider team, or our Development Squad, as well to really enjoy putting in the work and being a part of OUBC and build it for the future.

“Having that role has given me the opportunity to spend a bit more time and energy thinking about what OUBC is and how it will be in the future. I feel really supported by the coaching team, the wider staff at OUBC, my committee, other teammates, but also my girlfriend and my family. It really takes a village, and there’s a reason why we have Eights racing and no singles. It’s a big unit. Without that support, it would be pretty much impossible. I’m very thankful to everyone because it’s made it much more enjoyable. When it has been hard, being able to lean on someone and ask for help has been great to feel supported.”

For the women of OUBC, preparation has been strong. A 22 second win over their rivals from Cambridge University BC at the Head of the Charles Regatta lit a fuse that has been hard to extinguish. Most recently, their fixtures on the Tideway have proved crucial to the fine tuning of their engine.

There was a decisive moment in their racing against Leander Club that felt like a real coming-of-age moment. Approaching Barnes Bridge, Leander’s women were primed to take advantage of their Middlesex station, having drawn level in the minute building up to the key landmark.

However, as both boats emerged from the shadows of the buttresses, it was the dark blues who stepped on, pulling away from their gritty opposition on the outside of the bend. All season, this Oxford unit has felt different from those in previous years, but this ability to put the fixture to bed in such a decisive manner felt like a pivotal moment of growth, at exactly the right time in the season.

Across the years, OUBC have had a steady stream of athletes making the transition from university rowing to full-time training. From Amelia Standing to Juliette Perry and Martha Birtles, there was a dark blue tint to the waters in Shanghai, and it’s important to Heidi that everyone who picks up rowing can visualise this pipeline.

“We raced at Fours Head last year, and a couple of the other girls from Caversham came in, and one of them had learned to row at their college in Oxford. To have those conversations with someone who’s doing exactly the path you want to do is really inspiring. That was quite a special moment for those girls to come back in and share those stories. The time that we get to spend with each other, you start to release we are all exactly the same.

“I feel lucky to be able to join OUBC these last two years and, hopefully, have supported some of those who are going to be the future of GB Rowing because that’s what’s really cool. There is so much potential in this squad, and I really hope they start to believe in themselves and see how far they can push it. It’s not a case of waking up the next day and being ready; it takes years and years. If they can enjoy what they are doing each day here, then hopefully that can set them up, and yes, anything is possible.”

The CHANEL J12 Boat Race will take place Saturday 4 April 2026

14:21 (Women’s Boat Race) and 15:21 (Men’s Boat Race)

The post United, Driven, and Ready. Heidi Long’s Oxford University BC appeared first on 91ÌÒÉ«.

We’re Across The Line! Join us to look back on a stupendous weekend on the Tideway.

Three on the bounce for Leander Club at the Head of the River Race

Leander Club won the 100th anniversary edition of the Head of the River Race, beating Oxford Brookes University BC by nine seconds in the process. As winners of the headship, Leander also won the Fairbairn trophy, named after the event founder Steve Fairbairn, who organised the first edition of this race 100 years ago. The crew, packed with talent from Caversham, featured Robbie Prosser, Josh Bowesman-Jones, Archie Drummond, Will Stewart, and cox Jack Tottem, as well as the current World Champions in the Men’s Coxless Four: Dan Graham, James Robson, George Bourne, and Douwe de Graaf.

Rounding off the podium at the top of the results was London RC, who won the Vernon Trophy for the first time since 2012. After beating Thames RC in the Boustead Cup last weekend, Stu Heap’s men beat their neighbours by four seconds on Saturday and during the live broadcast, made it very clear the ambitions they have to contend for the the Ladies’ Challenge Plate and the Thames Challenge Cup with less than 100 days to go until Henley Royal Regatta.

Oxford Brookes University BC put four eights in the top nine crews, and their ‘C’ crew was victorious in the race for the Bernard Churcher Trophy for the fastest crew from any university or college club. BUCS Head winners Durham University BC were 2.6s back on Brookes but returned north with the Scott Skirving Trophy, while the University of London BC won the Thames Valley Trophy, 2.2s back on Will Fletcher’s flagship boat.

A constant theme across this year’s HORR was tight margins. Sandwiched between Durham and UL was Marlow RC, who went back-to-back in the Page Trophy, less than four seconds ahead of Molesey BC. Across the rest of the top university crews, Cambridge University BC, their third boat behind the Blue Boat and Goldie, and Imperial College London BC both finished less than 10 seconds back on Brookes. In the race for Championship Eights at BUCS Regatta and the Temple Challenge Cup, we await one crew to grab the reins with gumption and pick up the heavy mantle of favourites.

Credit: AllMarkOne

Nothing epitomises the theme of close racing more than the fight for the Jackson Trophy for club crews not normally rowing on the Thames or its tributaries. Coming into this weekend’s racing, Royal Chester RC and Agecroft RC could barely be separated at the North of England Head last weekend, but on the Tideway, it was the Mancunians who grabbed the proverbial bull by the horns. Agecroft RC beat Nottingham RC by 0.6s, with City of Cambridge RC four seconds further back, and St Andrew Boat Club of Edinburgh a further two seconds behind.

Rivalries were reignited from the Schools’ Head of the River, and on this occasion, it was St Paul’s School BC who came out trumps ahead of Shiplake College BC. 13 seconds was the difference with Westminster School BC and Hampton School BC both less than 10 seconds back on the Schools’ Head winners. On home water, Tideway Scullers School were the best of the Junior Clubs, getting the better of Wallingford RC along the way.

The Overseas Pennant remains in Dublin, but it will not be heading back to the Commercial RC boathouse. The students from University College Dublin BC are enjoying a glorious couple of weeks after winning their Colours Boat Race against Trinity College, Dublin for the sixth consecutive year. The Masters C Pennant also went overseas, won by Roeivereniging De Laak from the Netherlands.

Minerva Bath RC and The University of Surrey BC were the fastest Medium Club and Academic crews, respectively, while Aberdeen BC and Hertford College BC were the best Small Club and Academic crews. Sheffield University BC and Vesta RC were the best of the Beginner crews, while Canford School BC topped the rankings of the Mixed Pennant, London RC won the Masters D Pennant, City of Bristol won the Masters B event, and the Royal Air Force were the fastest Services crew.

for the

Putney clubs dominate Vesta International Masters Head of The River Race

Credit: AllMarkOne

London RC and Thames RC produced the fastest Open and Women’s crews at this year’s Masters Head of The River Race. Starting bow number 2, London’s Masters A crew had hunted down Thames RC to have overlap by the time they reached Putney embankment. They won by just under 13 seconds in front of a delighted home crowd.

St Andrew BC had a day to remember, placing third overall on the day, climbing one place from their starting position, having overtaken Vesta RC out on the course. Crabtree BC put two Eights into the top six. Their Masters C crew won their category by nearly 40 seconds, while their Open B Eight beat Cork by 25 seconds to win their event.

The other two crews to win a brace of events outright were Molesey BC and Eton Excelsior RC. For Eton Excelsior, 2026 is a special year for the club as they celebrate their 200th anniversary, and the club returned to Windsor, having had a great day in the Quads, winning the Women’s A-C Q and the Women’s E event too.

For Molesey BC, all four of their crews that raced finished in the top three, with the highlights being their Open E Eight and Open C Quadruple Scull that topped their rankings.

Thames RC once again demonstrated just how strong their Women’s squad are as their A/B Eight placed 12th overall, more than 40 seconds ahead of the next best crew, a composite from Nottingham RC and Esportiu OlĂ­mpic Barcelona, Spain.

It was a big day for the composites, especially those featuring Irish crews, as Belfast BC, Cork BC, Commercial RC, Neptune RC, and Shannon RC won Open Masters F Eights, Univ Coll Dublin Ladies, Commercial RC, Old Collegians, St Michaels RC, Tralee RC, UCD BC were the quickest Women’s Masters C Eight, while Lagan, Athlone BC, and Lee Valley RC won the Open H/I Masters Quadruple Sculls.

After their success at Head of the River 24 hours earlier, Roeivereniging De Laak from the Netherlands were back in action and won their second Open Masters C title of the weekend.

At their home event, Vesta RC had four crews racing, adding to the 10 boats that were floated the day before. Their Mixed Masters A-C Eight won, beating a City of Oxford and Derby RC composite crew by 11 seconds. Ardingly RC were dominant in the Mixed D-G Eights, triumphing over the six other crews in their category, while Sons of the Thames, Malmö Roddklubb, Sweden, and KRSG, Belgium were the best of the rest. Weybridge RC won the Mixed A-D Quadruple Sculls, while Bewl Bridge were victorious in the Mixed E-F event.

Credit: AllMarkOne

Other Results

• Loughborough Soar Head (cancelled because of weather)

No Scotland, no party: How the Scots have assimilated with the Junior Inter-Regional Regatta

Credit: AllMarkOne

Fergus Mainland caught up with Scotland’s Team Manager, Cara O’Donnell, to hear all about how the team is preparing for this year’s JIRR

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Social Spotlight: Like grandad like grandson

75 years after is grandfather Paul won HORR, his grandson and World Champion rower George Bourne won this year’s race and also sat in the five seat of his crew!

 

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That’s all from Across The Line this week!

Got any stories for us? Email fergus.mainland@britishrowing.org

The post Across The Line: Leander win 100th anniversary Head of the River Race appeared first on 91ÌÒÉ«.

We’re Across The Line! Join us to look back on a blockbuster three days of racing.

Scottish success as thousands of juniors take to the water at the Wintech Sculling Head

Scottish schools George Watson’s College BC and George Heriot’s School RC had a Scullery to remember as they head back north of the border with minibuses full of medals. The two clubs, whose boathouses neighbour each other on Edinburgh’s Union canal, won the Open and Women’s J17 Quadruple Sculls, respectively. The Watson’s boys beat The Windsor Boys’ School BC by 10s on their way to the title, while George Heriot’s had a commanding win of more than 16s ahead of Headington School Oxford BC.

Hartpury University and College BC climbed the ranking from Schools’ Head of the River to top the Women’s Junior Quadruple Scull ranking. In the process, they finished six seconds ahead of Headington who were just 1.7s ahead of third place Marlow RC. Maidenhead RC won the J16 Women’s Quad. While The Windsor Boys’ School won the Open Junior Quads and were the fastest crew of the day to go with their win in the J16 Quads, and the J15 Octos.

Walton RC would win the Women’s J15 Octos ahead of Surbiton High School BC, and Headington, while Lady Eleanor Holles would triumph in the J14 event. The final event of the day, the Open J14 Octos was won by The Windsor Boy’s School, a poetic end to the day as they win the first and last divisions of racing.

Kingston win on home water on the Thames

Kingston Rowing Club won Open Championship Eights on their home course and claimed the headship in the process. Their outfit in division two were 0.1s quicker than Hampton School BC who won the Open Senior Eights. The top three were rounded out by Hampton’s J16 squad, who add to their two silver medals in Championship J16 and 2nd J16 Eights from Schools’ Head.

Credit: AllMarkOne

Lea RC had a fruitful return to North London as they went home with a brace of wins in the first division. Their Women’s Squad fielded the fastest Women’s Eight of the Day on their way to defeating Godolphin and Latymer School BC by just over four seconds. They also won the Women’s Coxed Four event too. Not to be outdone, the men of the Lea were also victorious in Coxed Fours, beating Bedford RC by over 20s.

There was further success for Kingston RC on a day where the host club floated more than 30 crews. They won the Women’s J18 Quadruple Sculls, the Women’s Quads, Women’s Masters C/D Quad, Women’s Masters E/F Coxed Four, and the Open J14 Coxed Quad.

Oxford University BC beat Leander Club in final Boat Race Media fixture

The dark blue women of Oxford University BC head into their final two weeks of preparation for the Chanel J12 Boat Race with plenty of wind in their sails.

Across two pieces from Putney to the Chiswick Steps and then to the finish, Oxford University BC won by just over a length, and a length and a quarter, respectively. The Blue Boat, racing in their lineup that was announced to the world at Somerset House took command of both pieces against a Leander Club crew that has seen change since they raced Cambridge University BC and Women’s Eights Head of the River Race.

With the changes across the Leander crew, it makes it challenging to say exactly how quick all of the crews are in comparison to each other. The bottom line is that this Oxford outfit is the most impressive we’ve seen in recent years, both physically and mentally, the latter proven by their ability to pull away from Leander as they rowed away from Barnes Bridge on the outside of the bend.

 

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Elsewhere across the weekend, The Cambridge University BC Lightweights were in action, both beating their opposition from Molesey BC. Goldie also beat their Leander opposition in both of their pieces while the Cambridge University BC Men’s Blue Boat made a huge statement ahead of race day, beating a Leander Club by three quarters of a length, who raced with a crew packed full of Caversham talent and three Cambridge University alumni.

Thames RC dominate Rayner Cup while London RC’s men win big at the Boustead

The women of Thames RC swept up in their annual contest against London RC. First raced in 2019 and named after the late Pauline Rayner, a GB international and doyenne of Thames RC.

Credit: AllMarkOne

Victory for Thames RC was comfortable across the 1st Eights, 2nd Eights, and the Quadruple Sculls.

On the men’s side of things, London regained the Boustead Cup, the annual challenge between the first Eights from both clubs. It was been contested since 1947 and is raced over the Championship course from Mortlake to Putney. London RC’s victory of three and a half lengths saw them also move ahead in the overall rankings, 34 to Thames RC’s 33.

It was a much closer affair in the 2nd Eights, as London prevailed by just half a length. Thames RC would win the men’s 3rd Eights by clear water. The Putney rivalry will be reignited once again as both clubs, along with others from across the UK and Europe take part in the 100th anniversary of the Head of the River Race on Saturday.

Royal Chester favourites for the Jackson Trophy

Ahead of the 100th anniversary of the Head of the River this weekend, Royal Chester RC won a vital battle against big rivals Agecroft RC at the North of England Head. Racing over the 5000m course on the river Dee through Chester, the local lads beat the men from Manchester by just over four seconds, while Northwich RC would place third.

The Jackon Trophy for provincial clubs is always a closely fought affair. At last year’s event, Agecroft were triumphant, beating Tyne ARC by less than three seconds, with Royal Chester RC just 2.3s further back. This year is shaping up to be another belter of a contest.

Agecroft showed their depth in Chester, winning Band 2 Eights by over 30s. Manchester University BC won Band 3, adding to their success at Trafford Head of The Bridgewater, while Trentham BC won Band 4.

Credit: AllMarkOne

The women of Royal Chester BC made sure it was a weekend to remember for the whole club in a result that was almost a carbon copy of the open crews in the same division. They once again beat Agecroft by just over four seconds, to win Band 1, while Manchester University BC were third. Liverpool University BC beat Grosvenor BC to claim the Band 2 title.

On the Junior side of things, Royal Shrewsbury School BC beat The King’s School Chester BC to win both the J17 and J18 Eights while Warrington RC would win the Women’s J18 Quads, Queen’s Park Chester RC, both J17 events, and Northwich RC the Open J18 Quad.

Other Results

Henley Royal Regatta to recognise the Scottish Rowing Championships as one of the UK’s leading competitions

Credit: Holly Jones

The decision follows feedback gathered during Henley Royal Regatta’s club consultation initiative last year and aligns with the Regatta’s commitment to strengthening connections across the rowing community in line with one of its key strategic principles

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Social Spotlight: Meet Tom Solesbury, Evesham RC style

What happens when you mix quick fire questions from the juniors and the newly appointed CEO Tom Solesbury? Watch on to find out!

 

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That’s all from Across The Line this week!

Got any stories for us? Email fergus.mainland@britishrowing.org

The post Across The Line: Hot off the press from The Scullery appeared first on 91ÌÒÉ«.

Henley Royal Regatta has announced that it will formally include the Scottish Rowing Championships as an event whose results will be used in assessing crews for pre-qualification for the 2026 Henley Royal Regatta.

The Scottish Rowing Championships, which will take place at Strathclyde Park on 6 – 7 June 2026, will now provide crews from northern England and Scotland with a closer and more accessible opportunity to demonstrate their performance ahead of Entries closing for Henley Royal Regatta on 15 June 2026.

Officials from Henley Royal Regatta will attend the Scottish Rowing Championships this year to observe racing and engage with crews interested in competing at Henley Royal Regatta. The decision represents a multi-year commitment between Henley Royal Regatta and the Scottish Rowing Championships.

In response to this development, organisers of the Scottish Rowing Championships have amended the race schedule to support crews targeting Henley Royal Regatta events. Women’s Championship Eights and Open Championship Coxless Fours will now be raced on Saturday afternoon on 6 June 2026, while Open Championship Eights and Women’s Championship Quads will take place on Sunday morning and the early afternoon on 7 June 2026.

The revised schedule means that many competitors will be able to travel to the event on Saturday morning and return home by late-afternoon on Sunday.

“This is great news for the Scottish Rowing Championships,” said Jen Thomson, Chair of the Scottish Rowing Championships.

“We are delighted to work with Henley Royal Regatta to develop the events offered and optimise our racing schedule. We look forward to welcoming newcomers and regulars alike to Strathclyde Park in June.”

Lee Boucher, Scottish Rowing Chief Executive, said,“This is a really positive development for rowing in Scotland. Crews from Scotland and the north of England have enjoyed a long and successful relationship with Henley Royal Regatta, but doing so has often required significant travel, expense, and sacrifice.

“Recognising the Scottish Rowing Championships as part of the pre-qualification process is an important step that gives crews in the north a closer opportunity to demonstrate their speed ahead of Henley. We’re delighted to be working with the Henley Royal Regatta team to make this happen.”

“I was struck by the feedback last year which can be summarised as ‘why do our rowers need to travel hundreds of miles south in order to be seen by the Stewards of Henley Royal Regatta?’ So I’m delighted that we have taken that feedback on board, worked with the organisers of the Scottish Rowing Championships and created an alternative,” explained Richard Phelps Chair of the Committee at Henley Royal Regatta.

“What’s more, I personally look forward to being in Strathclyde Park on the 6 – 7 June and I hope to see many Henley Royal Regatta aspirant crews there.”

Find out more about entering and qualifying for Henley Royal Regatta in the , available on the  of the Henley Royal Regatta website.

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We’re Across The Line! Join us to look back on a barnburner of weekend on the Tideway.

Shiplake College BC win Championship Boys and Girls Eights at Schools’ Head

Shiplake College BC  lit up the Tideway as they ploughed to victory in the Girls and Boys Championship Eights. A Shiplake record of 76 athletes raced from Chiswick to Putney and their top athletes put together a set of performances that sets the national benchmark as winter racing reaches its crescendo. This marks the first time ever that a school or club has won both of the top eight titles at the Schools’ Head. The Shiplake depth was on full display as their boys also won the 2nd Eight title.

For the boys, they beat St Paul’s School BC by just under three seconds on their opposition’s home water, meaning they regain the headship for the first time since 2023. For the girls, 2026 is the first time they have won the Championship Eights, picking up from where they left off at last year’s National Schools’ Regatta. Dan Safdari’s squad put more than 11 seconds into Headington School Oxford BC, while St Edward’s School BC took third, 15 seconds back on Headington and a further eight seconds ahead of Lady Eleanor Holles School BC in fourth.

The best of the rest in the Boys Championship Eights saw a hugely impressive performance from Radley College BC to take third, while Hampton School BC retained their starting position to finish fourth, two and a half seconds ahead of Putney-based KCS Wimbledon BC.

Speaking of Marlow, their season of success continued in the Girls Championship Quadruple Sculls. They won their category by 1.8s, and for the second time on Friday afternoon, it was Tideway Scullers School who placed second, nipping on the heels of Marlow. The two crews have opened up a significant margin on the rest of the field as Wycliffe College BC and Hartpury University and College BC were third and fourth, respectively.

Victory would come for St Paul’s across a staggering six events from Friday’s racing. Their Championship J16 Eight were imperious, clocking a time that placed them 10th overall, beating several of the Championship crews. The Barnes school also won 2nd Eights, 3rd Eights, Championship J15 Eights, J15 2nd Eights, and J16 2nd Eights. Across the 1st Eight category, there’s a new set of kids on the block. Kew House School BC beat some of the titans of schoolboy rowing, such as Eton College BC, on their way to a first-ever School’s Head win for the club, an exciting sign of some awesome things to come.

Credit: AllMarkOne

It’s 16 March, and we’re already scraping the barrel of superlatives to describe the dominance that The Windsor Boys’ School BC continues to enjoy on the domestic scene. They retained their top spot in Boys Championship Quadruple Sculls; however, Tideway Scullers School are providing worthy opponents for the rest of the season. TSS led Windsor by two seconds at the Bandstand, but last year’s winners dug deep in the second half of the race to win by 0.6s by the time the crews reached Putney. Third place went to Sir William Borlase’s Grammar School BC, who beat Marlow RC by more than 15 seconds. This result for the Borlase’s crew is one that conjures up memories of their sculling dominance 10 years ago, and perhaps the return of the programme to the upper echelons of schoolboy sculling.

Mark Wilkinson’s programme wasn’t finished there. Over recent years, they have steadily been building up their sweet programme, and Friday was one of the best examples of their growth. Their 1st Eight were four seconds back on Kew House, while Claires Court School BC were third.

Sir William Perkins’s School BC have enjoyed the fruits of their winter labour as they stormed to victory in the Girls 1st Eights. Putney High School, BC pushed them hard, leading at the Bandstand, and fellow Tideway-based programme Emmanuel School BC were third. Sir William Perkins’s also won the Girls J15 Eights.

Great Marlow School BC were another programme with a brace of wins. They return home with the Mixed Eight title to go with their win in the Boys J16 1st Eight.

Leander Club still on top as University of London BC shine at Women’s Eights Head of the River Race

24 hours after the Schools’ Head, the very best of women’s rowing was on display. Nearly 3000 athletes took to the Tideway in a year that saw Leander Club retain the Headship for the 10th year in a row. The crew, featuring GB Rowing Team athletes including Juliette Perry, Lauren Irwin, Lizzie Witt, Cam Nyland, Georgie Robinson Ranger, Katherine George, Philippa Emery, former Yale Bulldog Lauren Carey, and steered by Jack Tottem, beat the University of London BC by 8.5s on their way to victory. Similarly, the University of London BC was packed full of international experience with double U23 Champion Jessie Martin on board alongside Irish Olympians Aoife Casey and Emily Hegarty, FISU winner Daisy Faithfull, British rower Saskia Budgett, and stroked by Boat Race winner Samy Morton.

0.2s back on UL were Molesey BC, who took third place, beating rivals Thames RC by just under five seconds. Leander Club ‘B’ rounded out the top five crews, while Cambridge University BC placed sixth and picked up the University pennant as they get ready for the Chanel J12 Boat Race in just a few weeks’ time. Their second boat was 11th and beat all other University crews. For those wondering about Oxford University BC’s preparation, the dark blues took a trip across to the River Amstel for the 54th Heineken Roeivierkamp, where they won Women’s Elite Eights. Back in London, the top 1o was rounded out with the usual melting pot of Molesey, Thames, and Leander.

Much like BUCS Head at the beginning of the month, Edinburgh University BC maintained its grip over Northern rivals. The Baby Blue army were 13th, rising one place, while Durham University BC were 4.5s back in 16th and Newcastle University BC 10s back on Durham in 19th. However, despite having raced 24 hours earlier, Headington School Oxford BC were back in action and winning the School/Junior Pennant. It’s worth noting that their 2nd Eight were the triumphant outfit, placing 17th, having started 278th, five seconds ahead of their A crew in 20th.

Just outside of the top 20 was City of Cambridge Rowing Club. They rose nine places to win the Provincial Club Pennant, nine seconds ahead of Nottingham RC, while Cantabrigian RC would place third. For the second year in a row, the Medium Club Pennant heads north of the border. Edinburgh’s St Andrew BC made it two wins in a row in the category as they rose nearly 30 places on their way to a 37th-place finish. Much like the Scots, Derby RC won the Small Club Pennant for the second year in a row.

Credit: AllMarkOne

On a weekend where Ireland won the Triple Crown in Dublin, the Emerald Isle was represented brilliantly in London. St Michael’s RC from Limerick were deserving winners of the Overseas Pennant, while their junior crew, which started 301st, ended 97th overall and the second fastest Overseas crew. Amongst the rest of the junior crews falling in behind Headington, results were very much the same as the Schools’ Head the day before. St. Edward’s School BC were third, ahead of Henley RC, Wallingford RC, and Lady Eleanor Holles School BC.

Across the racing, there were plenty of crews significantly outperforming their starting position, and one of those is Bath University BC. From 189th to 42nd, the students of Bath return to the West Country with the Challenge Academic Pennant. First and second in the category couldn’t be further away from each other, and it will have been a long drive back north for University Rowing Aberdeen, who were six seconds back on Bath.

WEHoRR brings to life some of the best women’s rowing around the world, with juniors right the way through to masters rowers participating. Winners of the Masters Pennant were a composite crew from Upper Thames RC, Strathclyde Park RC, Bedford RC, Blacksheep RC, and University of Bristol BC. Next best was a fellow Masters D outfit from Marlow RC.

Two weeks ago, Exeter University BC chose not to make the trip north to BUCS Head. Keeping their cards close to their chest, they stormed the Beginner Academic Pennant, beating the University of Leeds BC by just 0.3s. In the Beginner Pennant, victory went to Vesta RC. It was one of eight crews that Vesta had racing on home water.

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That’s all from Across The Line this week!

Got any stories for us? Email fergus.mainland@britishrowing.org

The post Across The Line: Shiplake College do the double at Schools’ Head while Leander make it 10 years on top at Women’s Head appeared first on 91ÌÒÉ«.

Olympic, international and homegrown student rowing talent will race on the iconic Championship Course on the Tideway this April. The 80th Women’s Boat Race and 171st Men’s Boat Race between Oxford University and Cambridge University will be battled on the Thames in a few short weeks, with Cambridge defending champions of the Women’s and Men’s Blue Boat, Reserve and Lightweight Races.

Cambridge have held victory firmly over the last several years in the Men’s Boat Race, and currently lead the overall results tally by 88-81. On the Women’s side, Cambridge lead 49-30.

91ÌÒÉ«’s CEO Tom Solesbury, who won the Boat Race for Oxford in 2009, is excited to see the crews take to the water in April. “The Oxford Cambridge Boat Race is an incredible moment for rowing, when so many eyes across the world turn to our sport to see these hard working, dedicated student athletes battle for a single victory. I know first-hand how intense these next few weeks will be for these crews, and I wish the Blue, Reserve and Lightweight crews the best of luck with their final training.

“There are over 30 boat clubs along the Championship Course and hundreds of rowers who row on the Tideway every day, and I hope people who see this year’s race are inspired to give rowing a try, not only for the physical health benefits but for the incredible moments and true friendships forged in boats like these ones.”

Women’s Crews

Oxford Women’s Blue Boat 2026

Louis Corrigan (Cox)

Heidi Long (Stroke)

Sarah Marshall

Esther Briz Zamorano

Kyra Delray

Julietta Camahort

Lilli Freischem

Emily Molins

Annie Anezakis

Cambridge Women’s Blue Boat 2026

Matt Moran (Cox)

Aidan Wrenn-Walz (Stroke)

Mia Freischem

Camille Vandermeer

Antonia Galland

Carys Earl

Charlotte Ebel

Isobel Campbell

Gemma King

Men’s Crews

Oxford Men’s Blue Boat 2026

Tobias Bernard (Cox)

Harry Geffen (Stroke)

Alex Sullivan

Jamie Arnold

Alex Underwood

Fergus Pim

James Fetter

Julian Schöberl

Felix Crabtree

Cambridge Men’s Blue Boat 2026

Sammy Houdaigui (Cox)

Frederik Breuer (Stroke)

William Klipstine

Alexander McClean

Gabriel Obholzer

Patrick Wild

Kyle Fram

Noam Mouelle

Simon Hatcher

Umpires

Clare Harvey MBE (Women’s Boat Race)

CiarĂĄn Hayes (Men’s Boat Race)

Catch up on Turning The Tide, the Boat Race documentary! 

The post Crews announced for the Chanel J12 Boat Race 2026 between Oxford and Cambridge appeared first on 91ÌÒÉ«.

We’re Across The Line, your weekly roundup of all the racing action across the UK! Join us to look back on a super weekend of racing from the Tyne to the Thames.

Durham University BC win Men’s and Overall Victor Ludorum

Durham University BC had a BUCS Head to remember as they dominated proceedings across two days of racing on the Tyne. Edinburgh University BC returned north of the border with a medal haul aplenty, leading to them being crowned winners of the Women’s Victor Ludorum.

Durham’s triumphs were built on a backbone of medals across the Intermediate and Championship events. Across their 15 medals, five of them were gold, and their Championship Fours and Eights were untouchable. After an early-season statement at Rutherford Head, their men were favourites to take the Championship Eight title, and they lived up to that expectation, finishing 15 seconds clear of second-place Edinburgh University BC, who themselves were just 0.1s ahead of the University of Bristol, who took the bronze medal. Durham’s men also conquered the Open Championship Lightweight and Openweight Coxless Fours. Not to be outdone, their women returned home with the Championship Coxed Four title.

For the first time since 2022, the Scottish contingent from Edinburgh won the Women’s Championship Eights. Their depth was unmatched as they also picked up the gold medal in the Women’s Intermediate Eights. Durham’s women would play second fiddle on both occasions, but there was further Scottish success in the Intermediate event as Glasgow University BC placed third, ahead of the University of St Andrews BC.

Some things in life are inevitable. Death, taxes, and Reading University BC storming the Quadruple Sculls events. Of the six sculling categories up for grabs on Saturday, the Clams won six of them. The University of Birmingham BC denied them a clean sweep by winning the Women’s Intermediate Lightweight Quads by 10 seconds. Reading University’s Women’s Championship Quad was arguably the crew of the weekend, putting 95 seconds into the baby blue of Edinburgh, positioning themselves as clear favourites for the new student sculling event at Henley Royal Regatta in July.

Not to be outshone by their northern rivals, Newcastle University BC put together a blisteringly quick crew in the Open Championship Coxed Fours. Their time was just 0.8s behind Durham’s top Coxless crew. Edward Ridley and Gwilym Johnson jumped into the newly created Championship Coxless Pair event and won the first-ever gold medal in that event. Edinburgh won the Women’s event, while Louise Brookes and Jess Symonds, part of the Yorkshire Performance Development Academy, won the first edition of the Women’s Championship Double Sculls. Queen’s University Belfast won the Open event.

As well as the new small boats that raced over the 3000m course, the Beginner events delivered some enthralling action. While Edinburgh won both the Beginner Quad events, the University of Nottingham BC stepped up to win the Women’s Coxed Four by six seconds. The University of Surrey, recently under new stewardship, have been consistent across the Beginner events and added another pair of medals to their cabinet, this time gold in the Open Coxed Four as well as gold in the Women’s Eight. Queen’s Belfast won the Open event, meaning they defend their title won 12 months ago.

Credit: AllMarkOne

BUCS head always delivers some compelling narratives, and this year was no different. The University of Bristol returned to the Open Championship events. As mentioned, they placed third, but this followed another bronze medal won in the Championship Coxed Four in division one. Rounding off their trio of medals was their Women’s Intermediate Four, which won bronze. It’s not often there’s a tie in rowing, but there was as Surrey and Edinburgh shared the spoils, clocking the same time down the 5000m course, 19:00.9.

Elsewhere, it was a good day for the men of Strathclyde University BC as well as Imperial College London. The Scots won two brilliant silver medals in the Open Intermediate Quads and the Championship Double Sculls, while the lads from London found themselves back on top of a BUCS podium. The Imperial Intermediate Eight took gold, 16 seconds ahead of Newcastle in the Intermediate Eights, a result that feels like a page-turner for the Putney-based programme, particularly as the same unit won silver in the Intermediate Fours. Add in another brace of silvers in both Championship Coxless Fours as well as the Open Beginner Eights, and it’s a decent haul for Imperial.

Birmingham’s aforementioned win was one of three gold medals won by the programme. The clubs also won Open Intermediate Coxed Four as well as the Women’s Championship Lightweight Four. The Beginner Quads ran for the first time 10 years ago, an event that Birmingham won on the women’s side. While they weren’t able to replicate that feat, they left Newburn with a bronze medal, just over six seconds back on second-place Queen’s Belfast.

St Paul’s and Shiplake on track for Schools’ Head after strong showings at Hammersmith Head

With the major tideway heads all taking place this month, dozens of crews used Hammersmith Head as the perfect opportunity to test themselves against the rest of the country and gain some much-needed tideway experience. The first of those big events will be the Schools’ Head on Friday 13 March. After topping the charts across the Junior Eights, it was St Paul’s School BC and Shiplake College BC who have now landed the title of favourites ahead of the first of the events on the road to the infamous ‘triple’. Last year’s finalists in the Prince Philip Challenge Trophy beat the winners, Headington School Oxford BC, by just over eight seconds down the course that runs from Chiswick Bridge to just before Hammersmith Bridge. Third and fourth place came thick and fast as Lady Eleanor Holles School BC and Latymer Upper School BC were both less than three seconds back on Headington.

Credit: AllMarkOne

St Paul’s stepped up and entered their top crew into the Championship field, placing third overall behind London RC and the University of London BC. St Paul’s were 1.4s ahead of Shiplake, who intern, beat King’s College School BC by just under three seconds, with Hampton School BC next in the rankings, before a gap back to Eton College BC and Dulwich College BC.

On home water, UL stormed to victory in the Women’s Championship Eights. The Chiswick-based programme were one of several universities that opted to race on the Tideay instead of making the pilgrimage north, and it payed dividends, as they beat both Leander Club and Molesey BC tied for seconds place, by 3.4s. There was some nice symmetry at the top of the Women’s rankings as Leander then UL rounded out the top five crews in fourth and fifth, respectively.

Across the Senior Intermediate events, Westminster School BC edged out their neighbours Thames RC, while Leander Club, a crew made up largely of gap year students, was third. City of Cambridge BC beat Vesta RC and Molesey BC to win Women’s Intermediate Eights, while Bath University were first and second in Women’s Club Eights, and their men beat Lea RC and the University of Warwick BC to win Open Club Eights.

Much like the aforementioned Reading University BC, The Windsor Boys’ School BC did what they do best, winning and placing third in both the Open and J16 Junior Quads. Sandwiched between them was Sir William Borlase’s Grammar School BC in the Open event, while Barn Elms RC was second in the J16 event. In the Junior Women’s Squads, step forward Sir William Perkins’s School BC. The quartet were more than 20 seconds ahead of their closest rival, Kingston Grammar School, but it’s worth noting that they also beat Headington, racing Time Only, by 2.5s. Like buses, two wins came for Perkins, who also topped the J16 rankings, much like St Paul’s in the Open J16 Eights.

Credit: AllMarkOne

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That’s all from Across The Line this week!

Got any stories for us? Email fergus.mainland@britishrowing.org

The post Across The Line: Durham paint the Tyne palatinate at BUCS Head appeared first on 91ÌÒÉ«.

Destination Newcastle. Specifically, Newburn. After a brutally wet winter enveloping the country in a never-ending soggy embrace, the great migration of students to the toon for BUCS Head marks a hopeful turning point as clubs emerge from the gloomy doldrums of the long nights.

Awaiting them will be the tried-and-tested course. Weaving and winding from Scotswood and Blaydon to the well-trodden Newburn straight, passing crucial markers such as Car Crusher and the infamous cross-over at the Stella bend. At this year’s edition, new events will make their debut. Championship Pairs and Championship Double Sculls will take to the water alongside the flotilla of Beginner crews on the second day’s racing. The former will offer BUCS points, in line with its inclusion in the existing small boats programme. The latter will run as a pilot, and subject to its success, will see BUCS points allocated from the 2026–27 season onwards.

Speaking ahead of this weekend’s mouth-watering divisions, Holly Young, Lead Coach at Durham University BC, one of three universities that have made the Tyne their own, said, “After a long winter training block, we as a coaching team are incredibly excited to see the 2026 BUCS racing get underway on our home water.

“The Tyne is a truly special place to train and compete, and it always gives Durham University BC an extra lift on race day. We’re pleased with how the past few months of training have gone. The athletes have stepped up, embraced the challenge, and pushed themselves throughout a demanding preparation period. Their commitment and progress have been great to see. It’s also fantastic that BUCS Head continues to attract such strong and diverse entries from universities across the country. The depth and breadth of participation send a really positive message about the continued growth and development of university rowing.

“We’re especially pleased to see the introduction of the new Championship Pair and Championship Double Scull events this year, creating even more opportunities for athletes to race and engage with the competition. Durham University BC is feeling confident heading into the weekend, and we’re all looking forward to welcoming everyone to the Tyne for what promises to be a brilliant event.

Confident is just the right word to be using for the palatinate armada that will be defending their own turf. Their results on the Tyne in 2026 speak for themselves, and Rutherford Head was no different. Despite receiving a 20-second time penalty, their top Men’s crew breezed past Northern powerhouses Edinburgh University BC and Newcastle University BC. Such was the success back in November, they will be fielding two boats in the Open Championship Eights and whispers on riverbanks suggest two medals are not out of the question as they target their fifth consecutive win in the category.

As has been the case since for every BUCS Head since 2020, Durham University BC, Edinburgh University BC, and Newcastle University BC have dominated Women’s Championship Eights. With seven crews racing this year’s category, this is the largest field for sometime as the University of Birmingham BC have entered for the second year in a row and the University of Bristol get set to put their winter training to the test.

“I always hugely look forward to BUCS Head,” said University of Birmingham Senior Squad Coach, Alex Darby.

“I think Newcastle is a fantastic venue for it, with Tyne United RC, Tyne ARC, and Newcastle University BC being excellent hosts. The River Tyne generally tries to play ball, and I think the venue does bring the art of steering well into play with coxes and steersmen having to get their lines right, whilst also avoiding the dangers of running aground on the shallows.

“I would expect strong showings from our Lightweight women and our women’s scullers in general who set a really high bar last year, and then on the men’s side, they have a coxed 4 medal to defend from last year, and I know they’re keen to do so, and year on year, we are building depth on the men’s side.

Credit: AllMarkOne

“At Birmingham with our Beginners, we’ve been affected by the rain pretty badly this year. Every event we’ve entered has been cancelled on us (other than BUCS indoors), so we come into this a little bit in the dark as to how fast we are, particularly on a river. We’ve been putting a lot of focus into sculling this past term, so we hope that translates into speed in the quads. Unfortunately, we’ve had some injuries on the men’s side, so our Beginner Men have only one boat racing, whereas on the Women’s side, we have five boats entered. The first time Beginner Quads ran was 10 years ago, and that was won by Birmingham on the Women’s side, so we want to have a good crack at getting back into those medals again after picking up some sweep Beginner medals three years ago. We last picked up a Beginner Men’s medal two seasons ago, so it’d be great to get back to that form.

“For me, and I’m sure a lot of clubs, the whole season has been building to this point. The calendar flipped to 2026, but then in the blink of an eye, the BUCS Head-WEHORR-HORR triple header arrives, and it’s all go go go, what a time to be alive!”

12 months ago, Reading University BC had a BUCS Head for the ages, winning Open and Women’s Championship and Intermediate Quads as well as taking gold in the Open Intermediate Lightweight event too. It lit fires for an incredible 2025 domestically, and they’ll be inspired by the new addition of Championship Double Sculls to hopefully add to their silverware.

Some clubs, such as Nottingham University BC, have made important trips to the Tyne, helping athletes familiarise themselves with the course they will be racing this weekend.

Pete Boyes, Nottingham University BC’s Head Women’s Coach, explained, “We had a good run out over the course on the Tyne in November thanks to some training pieces with Durham and Edinburgh, a chance particularly for our steers-people to get some practice in for a key factor in the racing this weekend at BUCS Head.

“Nottingham University BC has a larger squad this year, and we’ve spent more time in a mixture of boats through the winter to see if we can find more performances over a range of boat classes. The time off water with the flooding that impacted most of the country has been spent well in the gym and on the ergs, hopefully this will start paying dividends later in the season beyond this weekend. The introduction of the smaller boats on Sunday will be interesting to see how programmes handle preparing two additional classes in term one and early term two.”

Credit: AllMarkOne

Amongst Nottingham’s delegation will be Ursie Flemming, one of several  GB Performance Development Academy athletes racing this weekend. Ursie, racing in the University of Nottingham BC’s Women’s Championship Quad, will be looking to close the gap on the field after last year’s performance. Representing the Yorkshire GB Performance Development Academy will be British Championship record holder Louise Brookes, who won gold for England in the U23 Single Sculls at last year’s Home International Rowing Regatta. She will be racing alongside Jess Symonds for the University of Leeds BC in the new Women’s Championship Double Scull category. The North West GB Performance Development Academy centre will also be represented with athletes from the Universities of Manchester and Liverpool.

With cancellations aplenty this winter, there will be a large contingent of Beginner crews who may well be racing for the very first time, such as those from the aforementioned Birmingham contingent. The largest of the Beginner entries comes in the Women’s Beginner Coxed Four with 24 boats set to race. The Women’s Eights will see 21 crews taking to the water over the shorter 3000m course, compared to the 5000m track the Intermediate and Championship crews will contest. At last year’s BUCS Head, the difficult decision was made to cancel the Quads and Fours and Queen’s University Belfast BC and Edinburgh University BC, two stalwarts of Beginner rowing, stepped up and won the Open and Women’s categories, respectively.

BUCS Head 2026 takes place 28 Feb – 1 Mar 2026, hosted by Tyne United RC/Tyne Amateur RC/ Newcastle University BC.

All event event information, including results when they are live, is available .

The post BUCS Head 2026: The eyes of the student world turn to the Tyne appeared first on 91ÌÒÉ«.

We’re Across The Line, your weekly roundup of all the racing action across the UK! Join us to look back on a fantastic weekend of racing across the UK.

19 records fall at Trafford Head of The Bridgewater

Trafford RC had a day to remember as they successfully hosted the latest instalment of their head race on the Bridgewater Canal. Three records fell on their 1000m short course, while a staggering 16 course records were broken over the longer 3200m distance.

Across their 40 entries, the host club picked up 19 wins and set four new course records in the process. Their Masters squad had a cracking day, winning and and setting course records in the Open E Coxed Four, the Open G Quadruple Scull, and the Mixed D Quadruple Sculls.

Trafford RC also set the fastest time of the day across the short course, clocking 04:00.4 in their Open J14 Coxed Quad. Manchester University BC’s Open Eight were the kings of the long course, beating the Open J18 Quadruple Scull from Northwich RC by over a minute, who themselves snuck past the Open Eights from Runcorn RC and Mersey RC.

For Northwich RC, their aforementioned quad was one of seven victories for the Weaver-based club. In the big boats, they also pick up the Open Quadruple Scull title as well as the Open J15 Coxed Quad, and the Women’s Masters D/E title too. Their juniors were nimble too, winning the Women’s J15 Double Scull and the Open J14 Single Scull.

It was an equally impressive day for Warrington RC, who travelled en masse with their juniors. Wins came across the day and across the division lengths, picking up both the Open J13 and J15 Coxed Quad titles as well as the Open J13 Single Scull. This went very nicely with their conquering of the Double Sculls, heading home with both the Open J14 and J16 medals and the Women’s J15 title.

In the small boats, Lakeland RC shone bright, picking up two wins in the Double Sculls across the Open and Open Masters E events.

Credit: AllMarkOne

Norwich School continue momentum at Norwich Head

 

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After finding early season speed at Great Britain Trials and at the Junior Fours Head, Norwich School BC have continued their top performances into 2026. Their boys were on immaculate form at Northwich Head, winning Open Band 1 Eights and Open J18 Quadruple Sculls in the first and third division, respectively. Both divisions were raced over the 5000m course, while division two, topped by Norwich RC’s Open J18 Double Scull, was raced over a more enjoyable 1900m. The local school led the way with 18 crews entered, while Rob Roy BC and Tideway Scullers School BC had 17 and 16 crews racing, respectively.

The Chiswick-based programme picked up eight wins in total.

The Cambridge clubs were great across the board. While Rob Roy BC picked up a sensation six wins across a range of categories, it would be Cambridge ’99 RC who went home with the Women’s Eight title, which they won in division three for the fourth year in a row, beating First and Third Trinity BC by 40 seconds. While Rob Roy BC won the Open Masters Single Scull, they were one of 10 clubs that showcased the strength and breadth of the competition that took to the River Yare. Bedford RC loaded up their trailer to head back to the River Great Ouse with a trio of wins in the Open Masters C Eight, Masters D Double Scull, and the Mixed Masters E Eight. Yare BC and Champion of the Thames had a brace of wins each.

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That’s all from Across The Line this week!

Got any stories for us? Email fergus.mainland@britishrowing.org

The post Across The Line: Record-breaking day on the Bridgewater Canal appeared first on 91ÌÒÉ«.