Across The Line: Shiplake College do the double at Schools’ Head while Leander make it 10 years on top at Women’s Head
Your weekly roundup of racing across the UK as the Schools’ Head of the River Race and Women’s Eights Head of the River Race dominate proceedings
Credit: AllMarkOne
We’re Across The Line! Join us to look back on a barnburner of weekend on the Tideway.
Shiplake College BC win Championship Boys and Girls Eights at Schools’ Head
Shiplake College BCÂ lit up the Tideway as they ploughed to victory in the Girls and Boys Championship Eights. A Shiplake record of 76 athletes raced from Chiswick to Putney and their top athletes put together a set of performances that sets the national benchmark as winter racing reaches its crescendo. This marks the first time ever that a school or club has won both of the top eight titles at the Schools’ Head. The Shiplake depth was on full display as their boys also won the 2nd Eight title.
For the boys, they beat St Paul’s School BC by just under three seconds on their opposition’s home water, meaning they regain the headship for the first time since 2023. For the girls, 2026 is the first time they have won the Championship Eights, picking up from where they left off at last year’s National Schools’ Regatta. Dan Safdari’s squad put more than 11 seconds into Headington School Oxford BC, while St Edward’s School BC took third, 15 seconds back on Headington and a further eight seconds ahead of Lady Eleanor Holles School BC in fourth.
The best of the rest in the Boys Championship Eights saw a hugely impressive performance from Radley College BC to take third, while Hampton School BC retained their starting position to finish fourth, two and a half seconds ahead of Putney-based KCS Wimbledon BC.
Speaking of Marlow, their season of success continued in the Girls Championship Quadruple Sculls. They won their category by 1.8s, and for the second time on Friday afternoon, it was Tideway Scullers School who placed second, nipping on the heels of Marlow. The two crews have opened up a significant margin on the rest of the field as Wycliffe College BC and Hartpury University and College BC were third and fourth, respectively.
Victory would come for St Paul’s across a staggering six events from Friday’s racing. Their Championship J16 Eight were imperious, clocking a time that placed them 10th overall, beating several of the Championship crews. The Barnes school also won 2nd Eights, 3rd Eights, Championship J15 Eights, J15 2nd Eights, and J16 2nd Eights. Across the 1st Eight category, there’s a new set of kids on the block. Kew House School BC beat some of the titans of schoolboy rowing, such as Eton College BC, on their way to a first-ever School’s Head win for the club, an exciting sign of some awesome things to come.
Credit: AllMarkOne
It’s 16 March, and we’re already scraping the barrel of superlatives to describe the dominance that The Windsor Boys’ School BC continues to enjoy on the domestic scene. They retained their top spot in Boys Championship Quadruple Sculls; however, Tideway Scullers School are providing worthy opponents for the rest of the season. TSS led Windsor by two seconds at the Bandstand, but last year’s winners dug deep in the second half of the race to win by 0.6s by the time the crews reached Putney. Third place went to Sir William Borlase’s Grammar School BC, who beat Marlow RC by more than 15 seconds. This result for the Borlase’s crew is one that conjures up memories of their sculling dominance 10 years ago, and perhaps the return of the programme to the upper echelons of schoolboy sculling.
Mark Wilkinson’s programme wasn’t finished there. Over recent years, they have steadily been building up their sweet programme, and Friday was one of the best examples of their growth. Their 1st Eight were four seconds back on Kew House, while Claires Court School BC were third.
Sir William Perkins’s School BC have enjoyed the fruits of their winter labour as they stormed to victory in the Girls 1st Eights. Putney High School, BC pushed them hard, leading at the Bandstand, and fellow Tideway-based programme Emmanuel School BC were third. Sir William Perkins’s also won the Girls J15 Eights.
Great Marlow School BC were another programme with a brace of wins. They return home with the Mixed Eight title to go with their win in the Boys J16 1st Eight.
Leander Club still on top as University of London BC shine at Women’s Eights Head of the River Race
24 hours after the Schools’ Head, the very best of women’s rowing was on display. Nearly 3000 athletes took to the Tideway in a year that saw Leander Club retain the Headship for the 10th year in a row. The crew, featuring GB Rowing Team athletes including Juliette Perry, Lauren Irwin, Lizzie Witt, Cam Nyland, Georgie Robinson Ranger, Katherine George, Philippa Emery, former Yale Bulldog Lauren Carey, and steered by Jack Tottem, beat the University of London BC by 8.5s on their way to victory. Similarly, the University of London BC was packed full of international experience with double U23 Champion Jessie Martin on board alongside Irish Olympians Aoife Casey and Emily Hegarty, FISU winner Daisy Faithfull, British rower Saskia Budgett, and stroked by Boat Race winner Samy Morton.
0.2s back on UL were Molesey BC, who took third place, beating rivals Thames RC by just under five seconds. Leander Club ‘B’ rounded out the top five crews, while Cambridge University BC placed sixth and picked up the University pennant as they get ready for the Chanel J12 Boat Race in just a few weeks’ time. Their second boat was 11th and beat all other University crews. For those wondering about Oxford University BC’s preparation, the dark blues took a trip across to the River Amstel for the 54th Heineken Roeivierkamp, where they won Women’s Elite Eights. Back in London, the top 1o was rounded out with the usual melting pot of Molesey, Thames, and Leander.
Much like BUCS Head at the beginning of the month, Edinburgh University BC maintained its grip over Northern rivals. The Baby Blue army were 13th, rising one place, while Durham University BC were 4.5s back in 16th and Newcastle University BC 10s back on Durham in 19th. However, despite having raced 24 hours earlier, Headington School Oxford BC were back in action and winning the School/Junior Pennant. It’s worth noting that their 2nd Eight were the triumphant outfit, placing 17th, having started 278th, five seconds ahead of their A crew in 20th.
Just outside of the top 20 was City of Cambridge Rowing Club. They rose nine places to win the Provincial Club Pennant, nine seconds ahead of Nottingham RC, while Cantabrigian RC would place third. For the second year in a row, the Medium Club Pennant heads north of the border. Edinburgh’s St Andrew BC made it two wins in a row in the category as they rose nearly 30 places on their way to a 37th-place finish. Much like the Scots, Derby RC won the Small Club Pennant for the second year in a row.
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On a weekend where Ireland won the Triple Crown in Dublin, the Emerald Isle was represented brilliantly in London. St Michael’s RC from Limerick were deserving winners of the Overseas Pennant, while their junior crew, which started 301st, ended 97th overall and the second fastest Overseas crew. Amongst the rest of the junior crews falling in behind Headington, results were very much the same as the Schools’ Head the day before. St. Edward’s School BC were third, ahead of Henley RC, Wallingford RC, and Lady Eleanor Holles School BC.
Across the racing, there were plenty of crews significantly outperforming their starting position, and one of those is Bath University BC. From 189th to 42nd, the students of Bath return to the West Country with the Challenge Academic Pennant. First and second in the category couldn’t be further away from each other, and it will have been a long drive back north for University Rowing Aberdeen, who were six seconds back on Bath.
WEHoRR brings to life some of the best women’s rowing around the world, with juniors right the way through to masters rowers participating. Winners of the Masters Pennant were a composite crew from Upper Thames RC, Strathclyde Park RC, Bedford RC, Blacksheep RC, and University of Bristol BC. Next best was a fellow Masters D outfit from Marlow RC.
Two weeks ago, Exeter University BC chose not to make the trip north to BUCS Head. Keeping their cards close to their chest, they stormed the Beginner Academic Pennant, beating the University of Leeds BC by just 0.3s. In the Beginner Pennant, victory went to Vesta RC. It was one of eight crews that Vesta had racing on home water.
Other Results
CEO visits: How Tom got on in the Eastern, East Midlands, Yorkshire and Northern regions
Topics discussed included resources and support for masters rowers, getting young people out on the water and more opportunities for competition at all levels
Social Spotlight: Behind the scenes for a day of commentary at WEHoRR
Join Eve Stewart as she travels to Hammersmith for a day of WEHoRR commentary at British Rowing HQ.
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That’s all from Across The Line this week!
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