Nottingham Rowing Club win Senior Victor Ludorum on Day 3 of the British Rowing Club Championships

Another gold rush across the boat classes sealed the Victor Ludorum for the local club

Nottingham Rowing Club have won their first Victor Ludorum at the British Rowing Club Championships. After a sensational weekend of racing on home water, they were clear winners of the Senior VL, beating Cambridge University Boat Club into second place, and Thames Rowing Club rounding off the podium in third.

“It means a lot, and it’s a great way to round off the season. We’ve had a really good uptake this year with people racing, so it’s been a good final run-out this weekend,” said Henry Cross, who won the Men’s Club Four and the Men’s Open Eight.

“We’ve done really well and surprised ourselves with how well we’ve done across the board. It’s a fantastic event to finish the season with.

“Seeing gold medal after gold medal come in over the weekend has been impressive. Everyone has really stepped up. It’s been a long season, but a good season, and to see everyone do so well is a great feeling and I’m very proud of them all.”

The wave of success that Nottingham had been riding all weekend continued with another gold, this time in the Women’s Club event. Trentham won out in the Men’s event, but a photo finish saw the University of Bath Boat Club snatch silver by 0.1s over City of Sunderland Rowing Club. After gold in Quads and Fours over the weekend, Nottingham would add yet another title to their trophy cabinet, this time in the Women’s Club Pairs.

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First on the docket for the afternoon’s medal finals was the adaptive racing. The largest entry came in the Open AR3 category with seven scullers split across two finals. Miguel Ferreira de Lima of Llandaff Rowing Club was crowned the winner ahead of Archie Maitre of Evesham Rowing Club and James King of Leeds Rowing Club.

The Open Junior AR-O Single Scull was a shoot-out between Avon County Rowing Club and Tees Rowing Club. The two scullers were split across different finals following results from the time trials, meaning every stroke counted to post the fastest possible time. In the end, it was Avon County’s Gabriel Phillips Rusenieks who would be crowned winner.

Warrington Rowing Club’s Eimear Slee won the Women’s Junior AR-O Single Scull while the Women’s AR3 event went to Ella Holloway from Marlow Rowing Club. The second win of the day for Marlow came in the Open AR 1/2 category, in which Adam Hussain left with gold.

Blue Peter presenter Abby Cook was in action in the Women’s AR 1/2 event. In what was her first ever 2000m piece, she took gold took with Isobelle Desbrow of Guildford Rowing Club taking silver.

“It was so much fun, I had a great time,” said Cook.

“I feel like this could not have happened without the brilliant coach Matt [Lord]. He is absolutely wonderful. If it wasn’t for him, I’d still be going around in circles! I’ve been on a very short journey, but it’s been such an amazing one. It’s been so much fun. I think that I’ve had fun today, but I’ve had fun for the past eight weeks. The past two months of just having the best time out on the water. It’s such an amazing sport.”

One of the recurring themes across the Championships was the success of Cardiff Metropolitan University Boat Club. Today was no different. The club students took gold in the Open Beginner Coxed Fours before two of their scullers raced in the A Final of Women’s Beginner Single Sculls. They were denied their film script ending as Eva Bolton-Lake of Hartpury University and College Boat Club won the final race of the day.

One of the highlights of the afternoon racing came in the gigantic blocks of racing across the Quadruple Sculls. Aberdeen Schools Rowing Association win celebration of the weekend as they won the B Final of the Open J15 event, but Walbrook Rowing Club stole the honours in the A Final. After bronze in the J14 event at last year’s Club Championships, and silver at this year’s National Schools’ Regatta, Walbrook ended the season on a high, winning gold and leaving as British Champions.

After conquering Schools’ Head, the Junior Inter-Regional Regatta, and NSR, Sir William Perkins’s School Boat had another ace up their sleeve at the British Rowing Club Championships. Their Women’s J15 Coxed Quad would take gold ahead of Walbrook, who would find themselves on the podium for the second time in two medal races as they won silver, with Marlow Rowing Club coming through in third place.

After an historic season for Infinity Boat Club, the Stockton-on-Tees club wrote another epic chapter into their thrilling memoirs this year. 2026 saw the club’s first medals at JIRR, NSR, and now the British Rowing Club Championships. They won silver in the Open J16 Quadruple Sculls, behind The Windsor Boys’ School and ahead of Leeds Rowing Club. Sir William Perkins’s School Boat added to their impressive tally of performances when they won the Women’s J16 event.

“It’s amazing. We’re such a small club, and we’re only a couple of years old, and the amount of support that we get is just incredible,” said Infinity Head Coach Ellie Stevenson.

“These kids had absolutely no concept of what rowing was until about two years ago. Now, they’re punching well above their weight. I’ve got a set of twins in the bows, but they get to do this and show the younger kids what we can do. They’re the first kids that are able to do that.”

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There was a Scottish flair on the podiums of the J18 Quadruple Sculls. George Watson’s College Boat Club’s Alva Clements, who won the Women’s J16 Single Scull earlier in the Championships, teamed up with her Union Canal neighbours George Heriots School Rowing Club to strike gold in the Women’s event. Alongside Rosie Hendrie, Kate Desmeulles, and Freya McConnell, they beat Hartpury University & College Boat Club and Marlow Rowing Club. GWC took silver behind The Windsor Boys’ School and ahead of the composite from Hereford Rowing Club, Marlow Rowing Club, and Warrington Rowing Club in the Open event.

From Quadruple Sculls to the Double Sculls. After winning Masters C Double Sculls at the British Rowing Masters Championships, the ‘Red Express’ of Matt Wells and Marcus Bateman were back in action four weeks later. On this occasion, it was silver for 2010 World Rowing silver medallists, behind Henry Pendred and Morley Pendred, an outstanding combination from Tideway Scullers School. The University of Bath, last year’s Senior VL winners, were back on the podium, this time taking gold in the Women’s event. Second were Catherine and Gemma King, stalwarts of the Club Championships who will be able to add a silver medal to the family collection.

Following gold in the Women’s Club Eights, the college students of Cambridge University took to the Coxed Fours. With three crews across the A and B Finals on the Club events, their depth was displayed for all to see. Their top end speed was fantastic too, taking the top spot and leaving as British Champions. Wallingford Rowing Club won the Men’s event, ahead of Nottingham Rowing Club, and The Windsor Boys’ School.

Speaking of sweep events, Gloucester Rowing Club won a thriller in the Men’s Club Pairs. There was plenty of jostling between the West Country men, Dart Totnes Amateur Rowing Club, and Royal Shrewsbury School Boat Club, but when it mattered most, at the business end of the race, Gloucester’s sprint prevailed. Evesham Rowing Club triumphed in the Championship Coxless Fours.