England makes history by winning all four trophies for a fourth year at the Home International Rowing Regatta
The Euros wasn’t the only place it came home this weekend as the England Rowing Team stormed to a win on Dorney Lake
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Home International Rowing Regatta was held at Dorney Lake for the first time this year, hosted by Wales. The day saw the England Rowing Team narrowly win all four trophies (Junior Women, Junior Men, Senior Women and Senior Men), becoming the first nation to win both junior trophies and all available trophies four years running since the event began in 1962.
Kicking off the day, Ireland’s junior squad put in a strong start, winning four consecutive Junior Women events; the A and B Single Sculls, Double Sculls and Coxed Four. England’s Junior Women started turning the tide with strong wins in the Junior Women’s Coxless Four and Pair, with crews from Marlow RC and Sir William Perkins’s School BC respectively. Ireland pushed back with a win in the Junior Women’s Quadruple Sculls before England clawed back the lead, taking wins in both Junior Women’s Eight events (2km and 500m) and finally winning in the 500m Junior Women’s Quadruple Sculls.
In total, England came away with 25 victories across the 46 races, with Junior Women’s Captain Georgina Joy (Newark Rowing Club), part of the Junior Women’s Eight, winning both the 2km and 500m races to secure the “Irish Travel Agency Cup” for the 12th year in a row.
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Hosts Wales saw eight wins in total over the day, giving them the second-most wins of the day. A big win for Wales included the Women’s Eight (over 2km), containing recent Wargrave Challenge Cup winner Héloïse Wormleighton, Copas Cup winner Sophia Stiling and Oxford Blue Lucy Edmunds. Other highlights include the Women’s Single with Henley Women’s Regatta champion Georgie Robinson-Ranger, the Men’s Coxless Four (containing U23 Men’s Coxed Four record holder Robbie Prosser) and the Mixed PR3 Double Sculls winning both the 2km and 500m courses. In total, the Welsh women put in their strongest performance in recent years, finishing second in the Senior Women’s points table.
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England’s Women were pushed hard by the Welsh and Scottish teams but secured victory in “The Dame Katherine Grainger Quaich” with six out of a possible twelve victories. England secured their only sweep win in the Women’s Eight over the 500m course, rowing through the Welsh Eight to snatch victory on the line. Another close win came for the third time England rower, Sophie Brown (Sudbury RC), racing in the Women’s PR1/2 single event. As a PR2 sculler starting with a time gap behind a PR1 sculler, Sophie reeled in Mari Durward-Akhurst from Wales with a reverse of the 2km result.
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England’s Junior Men saw an impressive run, securing victory in seven of the ten events on offer. They were only bested by Scotland in the Junior Men’s (A) Single Sculls, Ireland in the Junior Men’s Quadruple Sculls over the 2km course, and Wales in the Junior Men’s Quadruple Sculls over the 500m course. Perhaps the squad’s most impressive victory saw the Junior Men’s Coxless Four winning the event in a time of 6:25.13, a full 15 seconds ahead of second-place Ireland.
Scotland saw seven victories across the day, with their strongest finish in the Men’s Senior Trophy, finishing second overall. Victory came in the Men’s Coxed Four, containing four rowers from Edinburgh University BC and Georgia Douglas from Oxford University BC coxing, with the Scottish pushing England into second place by eight seconds.
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England’s Senior Men dominated the big boats, winning both the Quadruple Sculls and Eight events over the 2km and 500m courses to secure the “Annamarie Phelps MBE Cup”. With crews containing some of this year’s winners from Henley Royal Regatta in the Thames Cup, (including Men’s Captain Calum Jenkins returning for a fourth year) and also winners from BUCS and the British Rowing Club Championships. The senior men totalled seven wins out of the possible twelve events on offer.
“I’m really proud of what the English Rowers have achieved in this year’s Home International Rowing Regatta, hosted by Wales!” said James Andrews, England Pathway Manager for British Rowing. “The day was not easily won, and it’s great to see other nations pushing us across all the trophies. I’m very thankful to the management team, coaches and clubs who helped ensure the athletes were able to give it their all on the water for England.”
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James continued, “It’s humbling being able to speak to the rowers and coaches who come together to represent the team across the weekend and what it means to them and their families. Some of them are returning to race for the team again, and many are racing for England for the first time. I hope to see many of them stepping up to the GB Teams in future years. Over the weekend, we also had four England Alumni racing at the U23 World Championships, and I wish all our team the best of luck in the future!”
Thank you to the hosts, Welsh Rowing, for a wonderful Regatta at Dorney Lake. England, Scotland and Wales have two more competitions to race this year. The Home International Rowing Beach Sprints, Hosted by Rowing Ireland and the Commonwealth Rowing Association Beach Sprint Championships in Barbados.
There is still time to be race to earn the chance to be selected for the Home Nation and Commonwealth teams in 2025! Find out more below.
