Sunday, September 28th, 2025, marked a tale of two rivers for British rowing. While the World Rowing Championships concluded 5,000 miles away on Shanghai’s Dianshan Lake in brutal heat and humidity, over 500 scullers gathered in autumn London for the Vesta Scullers Head – and both stages showcased British sculling at its best.
The Heartbreak and the Triumph
In Shanghai, Lauren Henry missed gold by just 0.03 seconds – less than a centimetre – in the women’s single sculls final, capping what she called her “first season in this boat class” with medals at every race. “Obviously, I’m really pleased to come away with a medal, but it is disappointing,” she said. “I said I was coming here for the gold.”
Back home on the Thames, Reading University’s Matt Long was writing his own chapter in what has been a remarkable season. Posting 21:27.77 over the championship 6.8km course from Mortlake to Putney, Long claimed overall victory just five months after winning the GB Under 23 trials men’s single sculls in April. The 21-year-old, who raced in the GB Under 19 quadruple sculls in 2022, defeated defending champion Jamie Copus and a field packed with international experience.
A Medal Haul Built on Depth
Britain’s eight-medal performance in Shanghai included golds from Benjamin Pritchard in the PR1 men’s single sculls, the men’s four, and the PR3 mixed coxed four, demonstrating the breadth of the GB programme. The conditions were brutal – Pritchard described racing as “like rowing in an inferno,” adding “I was dying in those last five strokes” after breaking multiple records to claim his title.
But the same depth was on display at Scullers Head. Jessica Martin (London University), who was the fastest Under 23 in the women’s pairs at April’s GB trials, finished fourth in the women’s championship in 23:57.17. The race served as the opening event of the 2025/26 head racing season, offering athletes an early opportunity to test themselves after the summer and with the GB November trials on the horizon.
Women’s Championship: Leander Leads
Georgina Robinson from Leander Club dominated the women’s field with 23:32.32, ahead of Poppy Baker (Nottingham, 23:33.05) in what proved an incredibly tight battle at the top. Daisy Faithfull (London University) took third in 23:53.88.
The men’s podium saw Long followed by Max Raymond-Barker (Lea Rowing Club, 21:50.41) and Timothy Wilkinson (Greenbank Falmouth, 21:54.70).
Heritage and Pathway
This year’s Scullers Head came with added prestige through new partnerships with two of the Thames’ most historic races. Winners will be invited to compete in the Wingfield Sculls on October 26th—first raced in 1830 and still crowning the “Champions of the Thames.” The connection reinforces Scullers Head’s role as more than just a season-opener; it’s a gateway to British rowing’s most storied competitions.
The junior categories showed the pipeline in action, with Jonathan Miles from St Paul’s School leading the School/Junior men in 22:14.47, while Ella McDougall (Barn Elms) topped the women’s junior field. Race entries saw a massive increase in junior participation—76 in the J18 category alone, up from just 33 in 2023.
A Golden Era
GB Rowing Team Director of Performance Louise Kingsley noted that “of the 37 athletes who made the podium, we have twenty-one athletes who are bringing home medals from their first ever World Championships, showing that the pathway is strong.”
With Long’s progression from junior international to GB trials winner to Scullers Head champion in just three years, that pathway couldn’t be clearer. As Britain celebrates its World Championship success and looks ahead to LA 2028, the Thames on Sunday morning offered a glimpse of the talent coming through—names to watch as the Olympic cycle builds momentum.
The lightweight categories saw Nathan O’Reilly (Crabtree) claim the men’s title in 22:36.00, while Hazel Wake (City of Oxford) won the women’s lightweight in 24:04.99.
Race organisers reported accepting a record number of entries, with some scullers turned away due to capacity constraints. Prize giving at Vesta Rowing Club at 14:45 brought the curtain down on a day that showcased British rowing at every level—from first-time masters competitors to athletes fresh from the world stage.
The race continues its tradition dating back to 1954, serving as both the opening salvo of the head racing season and a proving ground for Britain’s sculling elite.
