13 June 2024

By Göran R Buckhorn

This article is based on two press releases from Henley Women’s Regatta, which starts on 21 June.

For the third year in a row, Henley Women’s Regatta (HWR) has attracted a record number of entries. A total of 579 crews have entered HWR, which is 32 crews more compared to 2023. Athlete numbers have risen to more than 2,300 for the first time ever, up from around 2,150 last year.

There has been particularly strong growth in the championship and junior events, which have both attracted more entries than in previous years.

Now when junior, student and club women’s eights are featured in Henley Royal Regatta since 2021, there is a continued rise in entries in the bigger boats at HWR. There are 20 boats in the Ron Needs Challenge Cup for championship eights, 24 entries in the Peabody Cup for junior eights and 31 crews racing the Colgan Foundation Cup for aspirational academic eights.

HWR will also feature para-rowing for the first time since the Covid-19 pandemic with three scullers entering the Grosvenor Cup for PR3 single sculls.

The most popular event is the Frank V Harry Cup for development coxed fours, which has 53 entries this year. It is the third year in a row that more than 50 crews have entered the event, which is designed to be an entry point to HWR for those near the start of their rowing careers.

Meanwhile, 47 crews will race for the Rosie Mayglothling Trophy for aspirational double sculls, a huge jump from 30 crews in 2023.

“We are absolutely delighted to receive yet another record entry for Henley Women’s Regatta. It reinforces HWR as a world-class regatta, supporting the continued growth of women’s rowing,” HWR chairman Naomi Ashcroft said. “With this quality of entries the regatta really does promise to showcase some exceptional racing and we look forward to welcoming all the athletes, coaches and supporters between the 21st and 23rd June.”

Almost 300 rowers from around the world will race at HWR. A total of 38 clubs from Australia, Germany, Ireland, the Netherlands, New Zealand and the USA have entered crews at HWR, including 18 American clubs, schools and universities, 11 from the Netherlands. They will meet the cream of British female rowers, competing for clubs from England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Oxford Brookes University Boat Club is the biggest club competing, with 50 athletes entered in eight crews. The club will be looking to retain the two trophies it won in 2023, the Ron Needs Cup and the Colgan Foundation Cup.

Local rowing clubs Leander Club has 48 athletes racing across 13 crews, while Thames Rowing Club will boat 47 rowers in 12 crews.

Several entrants have represented their countries previously. Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games champion and HWR ambassador Ellen Buttrick is a member of the Marlow Rowing Club crew competing in the Ron Needs Cup.

Under-23 2023 World Rowing Championship silver medallist Vwairé Obukohwo will follow up her selection for World Rowing Cup III between 14 and 16 June with an appearance in a Nottingham RC/Trentham BC/Twickenham RC composite crew racing in the Borne Cup for championship quadruple sculls.

USA entrants at HWR this year include Solveig Imsdahl and Elaine Tierney, who raced in the lightweight women’s pair at the 2022 and 2023 World Rowing Championships and are competing in the Redgrave Challenge Vase for championship pairs.

Saudi Arabian sculler Haya Almamy will race for Walton RC in the George Innes Cup for championship single sculls. In 2023, Almamy became the first Saudi Arabian female rower to race at the Asian Games.

Racing begins at 10:00 BST on Friday 21 June.

Click here for the full list of entries.

For more details on events, entry criteria and the regatta, visit www.hwr.org.uk.

Henley Women’s Regatta is sponsored by the Colgan Foundation, Wentworth House Partnership and The Copas Partnership.