HEADINGTON School extended their astonishing run of success in a record time at the National Schools’ Regatta, writes John Wiggins.

Although pushed hard by Henley RC at Dorney Lake, Headington’s first crew won the championship girls' eights for the ninth consecutive year.

In the process, they smashed the record by three seconds.

In the same race, their B crew finished sixth to win the second eights title.

In 15 finals over the three days, Headington collected six golds (including the championship quad, J16 eights, J16 second quads and J14 B octuples), one silver (second quads) and three bronzes (championship pairs, J16 four and quad).

In the boys' events, Radley College came away with silver medals in the J14 octuple and the J15 championship eight.

Abingdon School’s J16 four also won silver, while there were fourth places for Wallingford’s J16 boys pair and Hinksey’s J18 coxed four.

  • Falcon Rowing Club collected ten victories at Monmouth Regatta.

Martin Benfeghoul led the way with four wins in his single scull.

Lorcan Nee and Joe Mullett won twice in the double, with Nee adding a single scull victory.

Other successes came from Amima Sagna and Becky Hore as well as J15s Seb Siswick and Josh Bridges, while recent graduates from the Falcon Juniors, Matt Timms and Aengus Allen, won the IM1 doubles.

On the first day, they overtook defending champions Oriel College and then held off the challenge of Keble College.

Defending women’s champions Wadham College scrambled to the line to stay ahead of a rapidly closing Pembroke College.

  • There was no medal success for Oxfordshire competitors at the European Rowing Championships in the Czech Republic.

Britain’s women’s eight, containing Brookes’ Annie Withers and former Headington girl, Fiona Gammond and coxed by Oxford Blue, Erin Wysocki-Jones from Wantage finished fourth

There were fifth-place finishes for Abingdonian Matt Rossiter and Brookes’ Joel Cassells in the lightweight pair.