Britannia Challenge Cup winners at Henley-On-Thames – from left; Kendall Brodie (coxswain), Matt Dignan, Ed White, Tom Gunton and Steve Peile with their trophies
Sydney Rowing Club sent its largest squad ever to Henley Royal Regatta in the UK in early July coming away with the prestigious Britannia Challenge Cup for the first time in club history.
The four-event regatta at Henley-on-Thames attracts club rowers from all over the world, including USA, South Africa, New Zealand, Europe and Australia.
A mix of seventeen international and club rowers from Sydney Rowing Club, supported by two coaches and a manager, competed in the Wyfold Challenge Cup for coxless fours, The Fawley Challenge Cup for Quadruple Sculls, The Visitors Challenge Cup for coxless fours and the Britannia Challenge Cup for Coxed Fours.
The Abbotsford-based rowers had qualified the weekend prior to the main racing in all four events, which is competed in ‘Wimbledon’ style where two crews row against each other.
The standard at Henley in all events is considered as extremely high and described as an unofficial Club World Championship.
The victorious Britannia Challenge Cup crew, which is a race only for club rowers, of Kendall Brodie (coxswain), Matt Dignan, Ed White, Tom Gunton and Steve Peile were firm favourites for this event said Sydney Rowing Club President Keith Jameson.
“Our Britannia crew won by an impressive four lengths over Thames Rowing Club. Not a bad present for strokeman Matt Dignan who celebrated his birthday as well as the famous win,” Mr Jameson commented.
“The Henley Regatta is important in terms of the opportunity it provides to compete at that level, and also the prestige of attaining that level,” Mr Jameson added.
Sydney Rowers tweeted on the day: “They sent us away in 1788 and now we’ve come to rule Britannia”.
In the three other events, Sydney Rowing Club made it to the finals in The Visitors Challenge only to be beaten by the University of California, Berkeley crew by 1 ¾ lengths. The Wyfold four won their first heat but went out to a strong New Zealand crew in the second round.
The junior men, Max Brenner, Rob Wells, Hugh Courts and Max Duignan raced in the Fawley Quadruple Sculls, which coach Lachlan Carter believes was arguably the best Fawley Quad that SRC has ever boated.
“In their second race they left the blocks with fantastic speed, got the early lead but the Glasgow Academy crew proved too good for these young men,” coach Carter said.
Head Coach Don Cech hadn’t been to Henley since 2007 and was surprised at how much harder it is to do well.
“You have to be training like you’re on the National Team because the best club athletes from all over the world are coming here to compete and to win,” he said.
By Belinda Noonan
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