Across the Line: Robinson Ranger and Long set the standard at Scullers Head
Your weekly roundup of all the racing from up and down the country
Credit: All Mark One
We’re Across The Line! Join us to look back on a huge weekend of rowing from Sunderland to London and everything in between!
Scullers Head roars back into life
529 scullers took to the Championship Course to participate in the 2025 edition of Scullers Head. First raced in 1954, this staple of the rowing calendar has evolved into the largest single sculler race in the UK. This year, bragging rights return to Reading University BC and Leander Club, as Matt Long and Georgie Robinson Ranger won the Open and Women’s Championship events, respectively. Long dominated the Open category, winning by more than 20 seconds ahead of Max Raymond-Barker of Lea RC. The Women’s event came right down to the wire as Robinson Ranger’s return to the tideway was almost upset by Nottingham RC’s Poppy Baker. The U23 World Champion finished just 0.7s behind the University of London graduate, securing second place ahead of UL’s very own Daisy Faithfull.
Greenbank Falmouth’s Tim Wilkinson rounded out the Open podium, while the rest of the top ten included Jonathan Miles of St Paul’s School BC in eighth, winner of the Open Junior event. Miles was one place ahead of City of Cambridge RC’s Ed Gardiner, who went home with the Masters A title. It’s worth noting that Gardiner started in 229th position, climbing more than 220 places to reach the top 10. Newcastle University BC’s Gwilym Johnson was the best of the U23s in 10th, 0.19s ahead of Ben Snoxall of Reading University BC.
Credit: AllMarkOne
It was a big day out for Tideway clubs, especially in the Women’s events, proving that this stretch of the Thames takes time to tame. Barn Elms RC’s Ella McDougall is off to a flying start on the Junior side of things, winning by 20 seconds with Naomi Williams of Newark RC placing second. Larissa Hainlein, of Tideway Scullers School, won the Women’s J17 category while Elise Stevens of NCRA took the title in the J16 category.
Success continued for the Tideway clubs in some of the Senior categories. Isabelle Maxwell, who raced for Scotland at the Home International Regatta earlier this year, won the Women’s Senior event for Vesta RC. The Open Senior title was won by her club neighbour, James Beattie of Thames RC. Speaking of Thames RC, new recruits, Remenham Challenge Cup Winner Hope Cessford, and Wargrave Challenge Cup winner Issy Cassidy got straight to work, winning the Women’s Club and Women’s Novice categories, respectively. Ben Trotman won the Men’s Novice title.
As a result of winning the 2025 Vesta Scullers Head, Matt Long and Georgie Robinson Ranger have been invited to participate in the Wingfield Sculls. The British Amateur Sculling Championship and the Championship of the Thames will take place on Sunday 26 October.
Lights out and away we go for the 2025 Northern LDS series
Six consecutive weekends of racing make up the Northern Rowing LDS Series and the first of which took place at South Hylton. Sunderland’s River Wear played host to the first weekend of racing, and it was a great day for Durham School BC, whose Open J18 Quadruple Scull was the fastest crew of the day. It was one of four wins for the school, which was also victorious in the Open J18 Single Scull, Open J17 Single Scull, and the Women’s J15 Double Sculls.
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There was also success for Berwick ARC. Their Mixed Masters D-H Quadruple Scull was the best of the Masters Quads and the second fastest crew of the day behind Durham School. Their Open J16 Sculler, Arran Brown, was eighth overall and the best of the junior single scullers. Berwick also won the Open J15 Single Scull after a cracking row from Jaden Eke. Rounding out their singles performances was Neve Haggerstone. The J15 sculler was racing up a category and finished 8.5s behind the eventual winner, Beau Gritton of Chester Le Street ARC.
Speaking of Chester, the club also won the Women’s J16 Double Sculls while St Leonards’ School BC won the WJ18 event, and their J18 boys were the fastest Double Scull of the day.
The local clubs from Sunderland also put together some great performances on the Wear. Hayden MacDonald won the Open Single Scull ahead of his club mate while ‘Stoker’ won the Women’s J17 Single Scull, and they also produced the fastest Open Masters FG Single Scull.
Check out last week’s results
- Wallingford Long Distance Sculls
- Runcorn Autumn Head
- Glasgow RC Head
- Head of the Ouse
- Monmouth Autumn Head
Second on the medal table for the GB Rowing Team at the World Rowing Championships
Great Britain return home with three golds, four silvers, and a bronze medal after a stellar eight days of racing in Shanghai.
Louise Kingsley, GB Rowing Team’s Director of Performance, said: “What a successful start to the LA cycle. We’ve seen medals won by our Men’s, Women’s, and Paralympic squads and impressive performances across the team. Of the 37 athletes who made the podium, we have twenty one athletes who are bringing home medals from their first-ever World Championships, showing that the pathway is strong, and I’m excited to see how they all build on this as we work through the cycle.
“This event has come with some challenges. The heat out here is one of them. But the ‘team behind the team’, the coaches and support staff, have all pulled together to ensure the athletes made it to the start line brilliantly well prepared. The performances we have seen out here in Shanghai would not have been possible without their efforts, a big thank you to them!”
Gold for the University of Bath at the European Universities Rowing Championship 2025
Nine universities represented GB in Poland, bringing home three medals across three days of racing.
Social Spotlight: Could you be an Olympian?
Think you have what it takes to make it to the podium? If you’re between 14 and 22 and over 176cm (female) or 188cm (male), sign up for testing at your local GB Performance Development Academy and start your journey today!
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That’s all from Across The Line this week!
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