The Start Line: International honours and local bragging rights up for grabs
Join us at The Start Line and look ahead to an outstanding weekend of domestic and international racing
England Senior Women. (Photo: Ellie Stevens.)
National pride on the line as Home International Rowing Regatta heads to Dorney Lake
In 2025 it’s the turn of Wales to host the next instalment of the Home International Rowing Regatta. This year’s event will head to Dorney Lake for the first time in history. After a two year hiatus due to the global pandemic, England have dominated proceedings winning all four categories, Junior Men, Junior Women, Senior Men, and Senior Women every year since 2022. The defending champions will field a team that contains 14 athletes that have previously worn the red and white for England, including Senior Men’s Captain Calum Jenkins.
“It is a real privilege to be selected as Senior Men’s Captain for the third time and to represent England again at my fourth Home International Regatta,” said the recent Thames Challenge Cup winner at Henley Royal Regatta.
“This year’s regatta at Dorney Lake is particularly exciting. It’s a venue we all know well and enjoy racing on, which adds an extra element of fun and familiarity. “We will be aiming to win all four trophies for the fourth year in a row. The level of competition has stepped up across all nations, so it’s shaping up to be a great weekend. Everyone’s looking forward to going fast and putting down our best performance.”
A small change to the racing line-up for 2025 will see 3 new events, the Men’s and Women’s U23 Singles and the Mixed PR3 2x. All crews will race over the 2000m course, with Para boats, quads, and eights also competing over a 500m distance.
View this post on Instagram
Wales have called upon a highly experienced Senior squad to head over the border and take on the defending champions. With the likes of Wargrave Challenge Cup winner Héloïse Wormleighton and Henley Women’s Regatta champion Georgie Robinson-Ranger on board, it’s a formidable Senior Women’s team that’s been assembled. Wales are also drawing upon the experience of Copas Cup winner Sophia Stiling, one of three athletes from Thames RC who will represent Wales. She’s joined by Oxford Blue Lucy Edmunds and former Edinburugh University BC rower Imogen Wolstencoft. Violet Holbrow-Brooksbank returns from the University of Washington and will also join the likes of Leander’s Hermione Hill and Emily Downing. Beatrice Hughes, recent Champion in the Women’s Double Sculls at the British Rowing Club Championships, will be racing for Wales against her crewmate Ella Fullman, racing for England.
The Scotland squad is also littered with talent. The two Scottish champions Ben Parsonage and Isabelle Maxwell return to the single sculls and travel south to Dorney lake, a venue Parsonage has already had a lot of success on this season. Who better to represent the Scots in the the Men’s Coxless Four than two of the St Andrew BC combination, Jan Swedlow and Neil Paul who reached the third round of the Wyfold Challenge Cup a few weeks ago. Speaking of Henley Royal Regatta, Scotland have called up Prince Albert Finalists Murray Bone and Joshua Matthews to anchor their Coxed Four.
Follow all of the action from the Home International Regatta here.
Saint-sational racing expected at St Neots Regatta
As the multi-lane season reaches it’s crescendo, the river regattas continue to draw eyes and attention throughout the summer months. This week, the caravans of rowing trailers are sent back into action and one of the most popular destinations will be St Neots. A regular highlight for many competitors, the two-day event will see racing over 1000m on Saturday and 500m sprints on Sunday with many opting to camp overnight on the banks of the River Great Ouse. With nearly 20 hours of racing across the two days, there’s plenty look forward to.
On the bank at St Neots Regatta (c) Sammi Sparke
During Saturday’s racing on the longer course, make sure to keep an eye out for the Open Single Scull. With 10 scullers racing, it’s also the first block of racing on Saturday and will almost certainly set the standard for the rest of the weekend. Much like the British Rowing Club Championships, the Mixed Eights will be eagerly anticipated. Seven boats are set to compete and it field will also play host to Sparks Rowing, USA who will be racing across five events. on Saturday. While the Band 1 Women’s Eights will be a straight drag race between Putney Town RC and Derby RC, five crews will race for the Men’s title, including two crews from London Otters RC who will travel north from the Docklands. That final will be the last race of the day but St Neots will be hoping to end the first day on a high as they via for a place in the final of Open Band 2 Eights, however, they’ll have to navigate another Otters boat if they are to face either Lea RC or one of the international entries from Sparks Rowing, USA.
With the vast majority of the clubs staying to race Sunday’s sprint distance as well, it gives athletes a good chance to get acquainted with one another both on and off the water. Racing bright and early on Sunday will be the Women’s J14 Single Sculls with a healthy entry of eight scullers set to participate. Across Sunday’s racing will be three Mixed events including the Eights, the Quads, and the Doubles. The latter has the largest entry with 10 pairs of athletes in the draw. The Open Eights will once again act as the curtain call for racing but before that, spectators will be treated to finals of the Band 1 and Band 2 Women’s Coxed Fours, with Lea RC stacking the latter with three crews as they go pot hunting on the Great Ouse.
All information about St Neots Regatta can be found here.
What else is on this weekend?
- Warrington Regatta – more information
- Staines Amateur Regatta – more information
- Bewdley Regatta – more information
- FISU World University Games – more information | livestream
- U23 World Rowing Championships – more information and livestream| crews
‘It’s just going to get even better’
Credit: AllMarkOne
Adaptive rowing continues to grow at the British Rowing Club Championships. Hear from some of our winners about the development of adaptive racing across the UK
Social Spotlight: Meet the British rowers heading to FISU!
A powerhouse team of student-athletes has been selected to represent GB Students in Rowing at the FISU World University Games this weekend in Rhine-Ruhr, Germany.
View this post on Instagram
That’s all from the start line this week!
Got any stories for us? Email [email protected]!
