JRN Intelligence: Fraser's February Notebook

Kiwi Kings and Queens

New Zealand became the first major nation to host its national championships this month, as the country's top senior rowers gathered on Lake Ruataniwha to fight for the prestigious red coats awarded to the winners of the premier events.

On the men's side, Finn Hamill was the star of the show, winning two golds and two silvers for Waikato Rowing Club as he raced in the final of all but one of the premier events. The world coastal and Head of the Charles champion will be one to watch this summer, as he seems likely to make his flat-water senior debut for the New Zealand national squad. However, even with Hamill in the crew, it wasn't enough for Waikato to take victory in the premier eights, as Avon Rowing Club claimed gold with seven first-time red coat winners in the boat.

On the women's side, Avon's Kathryn Glen reigned supreme, winning both the single and double to claim her first two red coats—a statement of intent from the athlete who failed to qualify at last summer's Final Olympic and Paralympic Qualification Regatta. Meanwhile, sweep standout Isla Blake went three-for-three in her races for Waikato, winning more red coats than anyone else. The University of San Diego alumna is now seeking to earn her first global vest for New Zealand.

Sydney Strikes Again

Across the Tasman, the New South Wales Rowing Championships provided the largest pre-national test for Australian crews, with many travelling from neighbouring states to gauge their speed at the Sydney International Regatta Centre. However, despite the influx of visitors, the light blue of Sydney Rowing Club dominated proceedings, winning the elite and Under21 eights for both men and women, as well as both elite coxless fours. This dominance has reached new heights under newly relocated coach Franz Imfeld—an impressive performance with the national championships approaching, alongside the much-discussed targets at Henley Royal Regatta.

In the sculling boats, Sydney University's Marcus Della Marta was the standout, winning the single, double, and quad as he embarks on another Olympic cycle, having missed out on qualification for Paris by less than two seconds. On the women's side, it was no surprise to see fourth-placed Paris Olympian Tara Rigney take her home state title for Sydney University, with her teammates sweeping the other elite sculling titles on offer.

Boston Calling

Back in the UK, the spring season kicked into gear this month, with the first national showdown taking place in Boston, Lincolnshire, for the second round of trials.

George Bourne continued his success, backing up his victory in the single in November by winning the pair with Cambridge University Boat Club teammate Douwe de Graaf. Another CUBC athlete, James Robson, finished second alongside Paris reserve Will Stewart.

For the male scullers, this year saw a shift to doubles racing at this event for the first time, with November runner-up Cedol Dafydd and Paris Olympian Callum Dixon claiming the top spot.

On the women's side, the scullers remained in singles for this round (though they will also race in doubles in April), though there was a surprise as Sarah McKay won the trial overall—finishing ahead of four Olympic medallists, including Lola Anderson, who placed second.

In the women's pair, Megan Slabbert and Eleanor Brinkhoff of Molesey and Leander took the top spot, finishing ahead of Eve Stewart and Lauren Irwin from the Olympic bronze-winning eight.

Student Rivalries Renewed

In the final weekend of February, the UK university rowing season got underway, with hundreds of crews heading to Newcastle for BUCS Fours and Eights Head.

In the quads, there was familiar dominance from Reading University, who claimed five golds, two silvers, and two bronzes across the six events they entered—posting six of the nine best times among all men's quads.

In the sweep events, results were more varied, but Newcastle University will likely be the happiest, winning the women's championship eight and securing the overall Victor Ludorum. However, in the men's competition, they finished second behind Durham University, who pulled away to a 2.7-second victory on their shared home water.

In the intermediate events, the University of Bristol women's squad claimed two gold medals, while their men held their own within the championship categories. Both of Bristol's eights ultimately posted the fourth-fastest times across their respective boat classes.

The Tideway Tussles

Further south, attention remained on the Thames as Hammersmith Head saw more than two hundred crews race between Chiswick and Hammersmith bridges in the last competition on the Tideway course before the major heads.

Leading the pack was St Paul's School, which avoided the disappointment they faced in January and claimed the overall headship. However, they weren't the only junior crew to impress on the final Sunday of February, as Shiplake College finished third—just over three seconds behind Bobby Thatcher's men—while Hampton School and KCS Wimbledon also placed within the top seven. With attention now turning to the Schools' Head of the River next month, a major challenge could be on the horizon, and the quest for back-to-back triples might falter at the first hurdle.

Among the junior women, Shiplake delivered a strong performance, winning their category by over three seconds ahead of Lady Eleanor Holles School and Henley Rowing Club. The girls in black, maroon, and gold moved up the rankings, finishing almost thirty seconds ahead of the defending Schools' Head of the River champions.

Among the senior crews, the University of London was the fastest, placing second overall in both the men's and women's rankings - building solid speed towards the heads.

However, the happiest club will likely be Molesey Boat Club, who won the women's race and finished fourth in the men's rankings - both results the best performances by any club crew. While they are often overwhelming favourites for the upriver pennants at the two major eights heads, could Sam Tuck be leading the Black Death on a charge for the overall club prizes?