News

Posted: March 10, 2017

Following International Women’s Day earlier this week the rowing world demonstrates the strength in depth of the female side of the sport this weekend with over 2,500 women taking to the Tideway for the 77th Women’s Head of the River from Mortlake to Putney.

Scottish Rowing is well represented amongst the 321 eights taking to the start line with 14 crews from clubs and universities having travelled to London from North of the Border.

Leading the Scottish charge is Edinburgh University Boat Club A (Senior, University) who will be looking to build upon their strong performance at the recent British Universities & Colleges Sport (BUCS) Head of the River where they took silver behind a University of London crew stroked by Edinburgh alumna Robyn Hart-Winks.

The first Edinburgh crew start in 13th position and will be hoping to improve upon last year’s 14th place finish but they will certainly face stiff competition for the student pennant from Newcastle University (7th), the University of London (10th) as well as Cambridge University Women’s Boat Club (4th), who will be taking the opportunity to give their Boat Race crew a run out on the Tideway.

Glasgow University Boat Club have a record 5 crews competing at the Head which is the most number of entries from any British university.  Their top boat, Glasgow University Boat Club A (Intermediate) go off in 32nd place with a number of the crew having picked up a silver medal at the BUCS Head in the Championship women’s coxed four.

The University Rowing Aberdeen (URA) partnership between Aberdeen University Boat Club and Robert Gordon University Boat Club continues to develop and this has produced two crews – AUBC / RGUBC A (Intermediate) starting 46th and AUBC / RGUBC B (Novice, Academic) starting 269th.

Other Scottish clubs represented include St Andrews University Boat Club, who have two crews starting 209th (Intermediate, University) and 307th (Novice, Academic), Aberdeen Boat Club (Intermediate, Club M) starting 213th and St Andrew Boat Club (Novice, Club S) starting 244th.  Strathclyde Park Rowing Club also has representation in a composite Masters C crew starting 64th.

Several familiar names will be looking to compete for pennants representing English clubs.  Olympic silver medallist in the Great Britain women’s eight at Rio 2016, Karen Bennett, will be in the Leander Club (Elite) crew starting at the top of the list of new entrants at 51st, one place behind Glasgow University Boat Club B (Intermediate, University).  Former Scotland Rowing Team members Emma McDonald and Claire McKeown will be the first Scots across the start line in Molesey Boat Club A (Senior, Club) starting 2nd.

The 77th Women’s Head of the River starts at 3:30pm on Saturday 11th March.  Keep up to date with the action at www.wehorr.org or on Twitter @WEHORR

Good luck to all the Scottish crews and athletes taking part - #thisgirlcan