Oxford University Fixture Report
BROOKES|Rowing opened their spring season this weekend against local rivals the University of Oxford. Two men’s and two women’s crews lined up on the Tideway in one of the official Boat Race fixtures- which takes place on 24 March. The highlight of the day was the Men’s 1st VIII winning both pieces against the OUBC Blue Boat. All races featured two pieces- the first from Putney to St Paul’s, and the second from Chiswick Eyot to the University Post. In the men’s race, Brookes made the first move and had edged out to a few seats by the end of Putney Embankment. They drew out to almost a length by
Jamie Copus wins GBRT 3rd Assessment
Final year student Jamie Copus headed the strongest showing in recent years from BROOKES|Rowing athletes by winning this weekend’s GB Rowing Team 3rd Assessment. Copus, who raced in the LM2x at last year’s World Rowing Championships in Sarasota, took victory in the LM1x by just 0.3s over his doubles partner Sam Mottram. Brookes had three athletes in the top 5, with FISU hopeful Ben Reeves finishing 3rd and Joel Cassells taking 5th. Matthew Tarrant, with his partner Josh Bugajski who raced in the Ladies Plate for Brookes last summer, secured 7th spot in a large field in the men’s pair. This result was followed up with 8th place for Rory Gibbs
Dominant Performance at Wallingford Head
BROOKES|Rowing produced the fastest men’s and women’s crews in every boat class with a dominant performance on their home stretch at Wallingford Head this weekend Four first years helped the second eight to overall victory in a course record of 13:26.4, winning by just a second over the first eight. Henry Bloise-Brooke, Seb Newman, Ari Cohen and Matt Rowe all started studying at Oxford Brookes in September, and this result shows how well they have made the transition to university rowing. The win, in Open 8+, built on their performance in the morning division, where they posted the fastest time and claimed victory in Open U23 8+. In addition to these
Record Placing at Four’s Head
Following the GB Rowing Team 1st Assesment in Boston, Lincs in early November; four Brookes athletes headed to London this weekend to race in the quadruple sculls event at The Fuller’s Head of the River Fours. The lightweight crew, stroked by Ben Reeves and also containing senior internationals Peter Chambers, Jamie Copus and Niels van Zandweghe were the sole Brookes entry this year. Despite only forming the crew earlier in the week, the quad finished in third place- a club record and only losing out to two heavyweight Leander crews by 5 and 11 seconds respectively. BROOKES|Rowing return to their home stretch next week to race at Wallingford
European Rowing U23 Championships
Four Brookes athletes have spent the summer training at the GB Rowing Centre at Caversham in preparation for the inaugural European Rowing U23 Championships in Kruszwica, Poland. They have just returned from a successful weekend of racing, capping off an outstanding summer for Brookes athletes representing Great Britain, following success at the World Rowing U23 Championships in July. Sam Nunn raced in the men’s eight, with Aisling Humphries-Griffiths, Sophia Heath and Grace MacDonald racing in the women’s eight. The men’s eight came away with a hard fought silver medal ahead of France by 0.31s and just a length behind Romania, the silver medalists from the recent World U23
Golden Weekend at EUSA 2017
Last weekend, the Brookes contingent came home with 4 golds and 1 silver from the European University Rowing Championships in Subotica, Serbia. This was the largest squad OBUBC has ever sent to EUSA of 26 athletes, with every athlete coming home with a medal. On finals day, in truly testing conditions of 16mph cross-headwinds, the Men’s 4- comprising of mainly first-year students led from the first stroke, finishing a length clear of the field to win gold. The Men’s 2- had a slightly more interesting race, rowing through the crew from Proteus, NED at halfway and holding off a late charge from German Olympians Munski & Johannesen to win gold
Temple Cup and Ladies Plate Champions!
In a year of records, OBUBC achieved one more – retention of a title, and attaining another. This year at Henley Royal Regatta, the Boat Club defended their title in the Temple Challenge Cup. Formed of an entirely new crew involving five first-year’s led by Head of the River winners Matt Hnatiw and Will Hall, they were guided brilliantly up the course by Charlie Clarke in the coxing seat laying down an unbelievable line. The crew stormed out to a length and held on all the way up the track to take the win. In a year of unbelievable work and belief, this is a fine reward for their efforts.
Women’s Henley report
Women’s Henley 2017 saw Brookes crews compete across six different events, and after Friday morning’s time trials and first round races in the afternoon, it was clear that it would be a strong Brookes showing with all six crews making it easily through to Saturdays quarter finals. Brookes would go into the weekend in the following events – Elite LW2x, Academic 8+, Senior 4-, Senior 4x, Senior 2x and Academic 4+. On the Saturday, the Senior 2x and Academic 4+ were unfortunately knocked out in tough races against strong opposition, but with four crews through to finals day it was the strongest showing of depth ever seen from the Brookes
British national record – 5:30.8 – Marlow Regatta
With world records falling at World Cup II in Poznan, OBUBC were breaking records of their own once again, this time at Marlow Regatta. Brookes’ Ladies Plate crew won the final of Championship 8’s, setting a new Brookes record and British national record of 5:30.84, with the Temple crew also setting another all-time British student record of 5:34.26. It was a thrilling race to watch, with both crews showing relaxed classy form as they went at it hammer & tongs, over a length up on the rest of the field. Both these crews will be fighting for red boxes in the Ladies Challenge Plate and the Temple Challenge Cup. There was further
