A season to remember for London Rowing Club’s Arun Jackson
A Fours Head win, qualification for the Diamond Sculls and a season crescendo at the British Championships. Hear about 2026 through the eyes of the Putney-based sculler
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Diamonds 3.0. That’s what the summer campaign was labelled as.
For any domestic sculler, qualifying for one of the Premier events at Henley Royal Regatta is a bucket list item, a sign that you’re one of the greatest to race across the British Isles.
It’s a sparkling jewel in what’s been a season full of highlights for Arun Jackson, one from which tales will be regaled for years to come.
“Essentially, the Diamonds was a pipe dream that I had during COVID. The pinnacle of amateur sculling is to race the Diamonds; there’s no bigger stage other than elite international racing,” explained Jackson.
Diamonds 1.0 was born at University, and Jackson had a crack as his final race in the black and maroon for Bristol.
Diamonds 2.0 came to life while at Thames Rowing Club, after a toss-up between a Ladies Plate campaign and a summer in the single. Both campaigns came up short. However, valuable lessons were learned that were stored for future projects.
The 2025/26 season kicked off with a top 20 finish at Scullers Head, before Jackson took his sculling stateside. The University of Bristol graduate took on the 60th edition of the Head of the Charles Regatta.
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Diamonds 3.0 was momentarily shelved in 2025 because if he had gone and qualified, the goal of racing the iconic course in Boston, MA would have been squashed by the qualification rule book.
After dodging, ducking, dipping, diving, and dodging the infamous bridges that Boston has to offer, Jackson returned to London, placing 10th overall in Men’s Club Single Sculls. A result to be proud of and everything he hoped it would be after 12 months of dreaming, planning, and training.
“Head of the Charles was a perfect race other than getting a medal.”
Back in London town, Jackson was back in business, taking to the Tideway at Fours Head. With his London Rowing Club teammates, the quartet won Open Club Quadruple Sculls, one of two wins for the club on their home stretch.
For all club rowers, winter was a testing time. A tribulation that rewarded those who persevered and soldiered on through the flooding, red boards, and inky black skies that enveloped morning sessions.
The 100th anniversary edition of the Head of the River Race was not one to miss, and Jackson found some clubmates to complete this historic outing. As the clocks sprang forward, focus was back on the summer racing, and back on the Single Scull.
“I had a hunch that after last year’s crazy Diamonds, this year’s one will be a bit more chilled out. I had been sculling loads, and this was probably the best chance I was ever going to have. I spoke to Stu Heap, and I went for it; I locked it in early.
“I took all the lessons I learned from Diamonds 1.0 and 2.0, put it all together and trained like mad.”
And train like mad he did.
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Come Qualifiers, which looked slightly different to its usual format due to extreme weather, the pressure was mounting on Jackson due to the volume of London Rowing Club crews that were advancing to the draw after outstanding performances during their respective time trials.
“When the entry list came out, it was 31 into 16, and it was the best odds I’ve ever had. Then the list of crews needing to go to qualifiers came out, and I thought that it could happen. The 24 hours in the lead-up to qualifying was some of the most nervous in my life. Watching every single London crew get in made me feel like I absolutely had to.
“I was speaking to my coach Nick, and I was likening it to the perfect leg of darts between Michael van Gerwen and Michael Smith hitting the double 12.”
Qualification was nothing short of elation. Pure ecstasy. A dream come true. An unforgettable moment for a domestic club sculler written into the history books. Everything that came after was a celebration of the season, and in honour of the work that had been laid down in the years before.
This meant that the British Rowing Club Championships was his season swan-song, a glorious curtain call on the season of his lifetime.
“This was my final dance of the year. After qualifying for the Diamonds I wanted to kick on and make this the absolute cinema ending. After Henley I came back to London and tried to kick the engine into life and see what I had left.”
In the time trial of Club Single Singles, Jackson was fourth, 0.1s back on Archie Norton of Minerva Bath Rowing Club. In the semi-final, he was second, with time trial topper Max Raymond-Barker emerging victorious.
Come the final, Jackson was second at halfway, third with 500 to go, eventually placing third behind Raymond-Barker, Norton, and overall winner James Coombes of Hereford Rowing Club.
“The result is what it is. The final was a bloody good ding-dong, and I just ran out of steam.
“Racing here at the British Rowing Club Championships, the Single Scull is incredibly stiff competition; I raced at Henley, and I still got beaten comfortably.
“I will look back on this as probably the best season of my career, unless I win Henley, but this will be hard to beat. Right now, I need a rest, but I’m happy to go out with a banger of a race!”
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